The Scent of Grass and Flowers
by Astra M
Summary: How they had gone from talking about their weekend plans into an argument about this subject was beyond him. Vignette series. Now playing part eighteen: Candy :Shikamaru x Ino:
1. The Scent of Grass and Flowers

_**Naruto Fanfic – "The Scent of Grass and Flowers"**_

_Written August 2006 by Astra M._

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Naruto_ copyright Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc. This is a derivative work based on the _Naruto_ series created purely for entertainment value; no profit is being made from its dissemination.

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It happened at the end of a long day as they were lying on a grassy knoll, waiting for the stars to emerge out of the deepening twilight. Asuma and Ino were off tending to the cooking fire, and Shikamaru had begun to heed the siren call of sleep when Choji suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, Shikamaru, I was wondering – have you ever noticed that people you become close to have a special scent?"

"Well, _of course_ people have scents, too," grumbled Shikamaru as he shot Choji a strange look. "Dogs can track them, after all."

"Yeah, but I'm talking about what _humans_ can smell. I'm serious – people have a special scent. Haven't you ever noticed it?"

"Can't say that I have…"

Choji was undeterred. "Well, _I_ think they do. For instance, my mother smells like pie: good, fresh, warm pie. And my father smells like roast beef!"

"Geez, Choji, is it _always_ food with you?" yawned Shikamaru sleepily.

Choji chuckled. "No, that's just with my family. It's different with others." He looked over to where their absent teammate was squatted, poking at something over the fire. "So I'd say Ino probably smells like… exotic spices."

"That's _still_ a seasoning," sighed Shikamaru.

"Okay, you're right. But she's _definitely_ a spice."

A moment passed. "Nah, that's wrong," mumbled Shikamaru finally. "Ino smells like flowers."

"How do you know that?" asked Choji curiously.

Shikamaru knew, of course, because of all the times he'd had to hold Ino whenever she employed her _Shintenshin No Jutsu_. But that was not something he wanted to admit aloud. "What does it matter? _You_ smell like potato chips."

"Oh… I suppose that makes sense," agreed Choji.

He fell silent, and Shikamaru thought that was the end of the conversation. He was starting to drift off into pleasant darkness when Choji's next comment brought him back.

"Then I guess _you_ smell like grass."

"_Grass?"_ Shikamaru opened his eyes. "Why would you say that I…?"

"Hey you two, I think the fish will be ready soon," came Ino's voice from nearby. "What are you talking about, anyway?" she asked as she settled on the grass next to Shikamaru.

"Nothing," muttered Shikamaru quickly, thinking the topic too trivial to merit a tedious explanation. But Choji had other ideas.

"Ino, what would you say grass smells like?"

Ino arched a brow. "Well… like _grass_, actually. But if I had to describe it…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Fresh," she finally said.

Shikamaru turned a wary eye at her. "… And what do you mean by _that?"_

Ino shrugged. "It's a good smell. It doesn't really stand out, but it's clean. It's not one you notice – that is, until something stirs it up, like after a rainstorm. But then it permeates everything." She paused, breaking into a cheerful smile. "I help in my family's greenhouse so much that I guess I never really thought about it before. But it's definitely a comforting smell to me."

Leaning in towards her teammates, Ino laughed lightly. "You know, it's odd that I never thought about it before, but when we're out on a mission like now, I also seem to notice it more…" She pulled her head back and took a deep whiff. Suddenly her eyes widened in alarm. "I smell… something _burning!_ Oh, NO!"

Ino quickly got to her feet and sprinted back towards the cooking fire, leaving her teammates to their thoughts. For a moment Shikamaru stared after her, frowning. Then turning to look back up at the evening sky, he contemplated the fragile blades gently poking the skin on his back. _Grass, huh?_

"So what kind of flowers?" asked Choji impulsively.

"I don't know. Really good ones…" Shikamaru answered distractedly.

Surprised, Choji twisted his head to get a better look at his friend. He hadn't really expected a response, much less one like that. But Shikamaru had closed his eyes again, and by the slightly turned away tilt of his chin, Choji could tell that he had nothing further he wished to add.

Choji smiled. He'd only been referring to the fact that Shikamaru's scent was due to how often his friend rolled in it, given his penchant for cloud watching. But perhaps Ino's definition had been closer to truth…

"Hey, I wonder what Master Asuma smells like…?"

"Just drop it, Choji, okay?"


	2. Gardenia

_**Naruto Fanfic – "Gardenia"**_

_Written October 2006 by Astra M_

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Author's Note: Originally, this fic was inspired by the "30 Kisses" LJ community. Basically, out of curiosity I viewed their theme list and immediately had an idea. However, given their rules (which I only read afterwards – d'oh!), I realize this can never be an official entry, seeing how this couple has already been claimed. My bad! So I'm just going to stick it here as another random ShikaIno vignette. Ah, how I love them so…_

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Ino hummed happily as she carefully mulched the row of potted plants before her. Working in the family flower shop had never been quite so enjoyable as it was these days, possibly because Shikamaru was watching her lazily from nearby. He'd been coming by often enough now that he had started to notice some things.

"Ino, what is that one you're working on now called?"

"It's a gardenia. It's an exotic plant."

"You've certainly been spending a lot of extra time over them, more so than with any of the others."

"Well, they're tricky flowers. They need the proper kind of environment and conditions to grow well, or they'll die." Ino smiled brightly, warming to her subject. It wasn't often that Shikamaru expressed an interest in her favorite hobby. "They like humidity, so they need to be misted regularly so that the soil stays moist – but not _too_ wet, or they'll rot. They like a lot of sunshine, but at the same time they need to be kept a bit shaded or they'll burn. They need warm temperatures, too, and they can't get too cold at night… and of course, they need to be fed and tended regularly."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Troublesome."

"They're _not_ troublesome – they just need some special attention! It takes the hands of an expert to get them to bloom properly."

"Or maybe a genius?" he teased mildly.

"Perhaps," she said archly, wise to his insinuation. "But mostly some basic tender, loving care will do the trick. Anyway, troublesome or not, they're completely worth the effort."

Ino reached down and brought out a vase holding a single white flower. The delicate petals were large and elegantly arrayed, and a strong, sweet smell filled Shikamaru's nostrils. She held the bloom up next to her face.

"See? Isn't it pretty?"

Shikamaru said nothing as he looked quietly between the flower and Ino.

"In the language of flowers gardenias symbolize secret love – or just loveliness," said Ino, continuing her lecture from before. "They have a beautiful scent and shape, so they're popular in arrangements. You can see that it's a flower with an undeniable presence. It _is_ something to fuss about."

"Hmm… a finicky plant that doesn't like it too sunny or too shady, too wet or too dry – frankly, it makes an awful lot of demands in order just to bloom. 'Fussy' is right. Still… I agree that it's beautiful once you give it the right touch." Shikamaru paused, tilting his head thoughtfully as he gazed at Ino. "I can see how such a troublesome flower suits you."

Ino felt her heart flutter as she set the vase down. Was that really a compliment? It was so like him to utter something that could be taken either way.

"Shikamaru, are you saying that _I'm_ too demanding?"

"You know you are," he grinned unrepentantly.

Ino crossed her arms and turned haughtily away. It was mostly for show. She loved it when Shikamaru teased her as he did it so rarely. Still, she didn't really like the idea that perhaps he thought her too 'troublesome.'

"Well, maybe I _do_ ask a lot out of people… but I _always_ give the best I can in return." Ino turned back around again, trying not to pout. "And I can't help it – I just like things the way I like them!"

Ino found herself being pulled forward into a swift embrace. Tilting her head upwards, her eyes widened as she felt his mouth descending gently onto hers… and then they fluttered shut at the pleasurable sensation. After a few tender moments, they broke apart.

"So do I," murmured Shikamaru softly.


	3. Jolt!

**Naruto Fanfic – "Jolt!"**

_Written October 2006 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: Another 30 Kisses inspired short that didn't quite fit in with a larger storyline. This one is based on the anime._

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Ino was determined. Leave it to that sneaky Sakura to figure out a way to corner Sasuke and come within a _hair_ of actually kissing him! They'd barely been teammates even a day! For Heaven's sake, _why_ was life being so unfair to Ino recently?

Of course, in spite of Sakura's exultant bragging, Ino knew her rival had really been hoping to be Sasuke's first kiss. Practically _every_ girl in the class had. Leave it to that freak Naruto to have ruined it for them all. However, now that this particular race had been rendered moot, a new challenge had almost immediately sprung up between them. Ino was convinced that it was only a matter of time before Sakura finally succeeded in kissing Sasuke. Therefore, Ino would at least make sure that she was the _better_ kisser…

But in order to do that, she would have to practice. On someone. An unworthy boy who _wasn't_ Uchiha Sasuke. Sadly, that meant it would never be the first kiss she'd always imagined having, but… desperate times called for desperate measures.

And, as Ino finally spotted her chosen target (who was predictably lazing away underneath a large shade tree), she couldn't imagine getting much more desperate than _this_.

"Nara Shikamaru! I need to ask you something!" hollered Ino, storming up to her new teammate.

"Our first team meeting with Asuma isn't until tomorrow morning, if that's what you wanted to know," muttered Shikamaru without opening his eyes. "As if either of us can hardly wait for it."

"That's _not_ it," snapped Ino. "I need to ask you to do something for me."

"Geez, Ino, and why should I do anything for _you?"_ he asked mulishly.

"Because like it or not I'm your new teammate, and I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary!"

Shikamaru heaved a great sigh. He knew it was useless to argue; Ino would never leave him alone until she got what she wanted. It was very annoying.

"Okay, _fine_… what do you want?" he said grumpily as he sat up to stretch.

There was a moment of silence. Warily, Shikamaru turned to look at Ino. To his surprise, her face had gone pink.

"I… I want you to kiss me, Shikamaru."

"You want me to_ what?"_

Shikamaru had leapt to his feet without realizing it. He took a step backwards, feeling a mad urge to run away – but then Ino reached forward and seized his arm. Unexpectedly, the brush of her skin against his sent an electric jolt racing through his body. Stunned, Shikamaru stood motionless as Ino began to argue with him.

"Look, don't ask me to explain why – the reasons aren't really important anyway. It's just… I'm going to be an awesome kisser, Shikamaru. I _need_ to be!"

Shikamaru frowned. He had a very good idea why Ino wanted such an absurd thing, and he didn't relish the idea of serving as a practice dummy for Uchiha's benefit. He pulled himself free from her grasp.

"Sorry, Ino. Go find someone else to 'practice' with."

"Someone else?" murmured Ino, flabbergasted. Was he actually _rejecting_ her? Why was that so… unacceptable? Discomfort fled as anger took root. "Hey, _wait_ a minute, Shikamaru!"

"Don't be stupid. Kissing isn't something you should practice on just anyone."

"You idiot! Of course I can't do this with just _anyone!_ Why do you think I came to you?"

Shikamaru abruptly halted. He swung around to stare at Ino, who he noticed was likewise looking extremely confused by her own words.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked quietly.

"I… I don't _mean_ anything… I mean…" Ino gulped uncertainly. All the anger she had been feeling a second before had vanished; now she was acutely embarrassed. How had this situation gotten away from her? "It's just… we've known each other forever, haven't we? I know you're not like the other boys in our class. You're… I don't know… just _different_."

In spite of himself, Shikamaru felt a wry smile inch across his face. How very like Ino, to say such a backhanded compliment. Was that supposed to make him feel better?

"Be that as it may, Ino, I don't think we should –."

Ino abruptly drew close, grabbing hold of Shikamaru's arm again. For the second time, a jolt rushed through him, thoroughly scattering his thoughts. Blast it, couldn't Ino feel it too?

"Please, Shikamaru… _please_ do this for me."

Inadvertently, he glanced down at her mouth. Her lips were pink and moist, and parted slightly… in anticipation? Shikamaru wondered if the tingling he was feeling was likely due to his brain frying; nothing was making sense anymore. Unthinkingly, he leaned forward slightly… and then it was Ino who was trembling.

"What… what was that?"

Was she finally feeling it, too? Shikamaru had to wonder: Ino looked so vulnerable now; not her usual proud, demanding self. Perhaps it was this that broke down his last feeble reserve. Magnetically, his lips were drawn to hers.

That mysterious field of electricity between them burst forth with a vengeance. It was fire. And lightning. And glorious, golden silence that filled every pore. There was nothing in the world but him, and her, and the irresistible force pouring through their mouths, binding them together. Shikamaru found himself wishing irrationally that it could go on forever. Were first kisses always like this?

Then with a panicked shove, he felt Ino pushing herself away. She quickly backed up against the tree and was staring at him, one hand pressed against her mouth, which was still open in small 'oh' of shock. Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving, and Shikamaru was surprised to find that he was breathing just as hard.

"I… I… don't… I _can't_…" whispered Ino as she ran a finger tentatively across her lips, still staring at Shikamaru.

"You can't… what?" murmured Shikamaru hollowly, his mouth oddly dry.

Ino cradled her arms around herself, as if warding off a sudden chill, and then she seemed to gather herself.

"I'm sorry, but you were right, Shikamaru. This _isn't_ something one should practice on just anyone."

Turning her back on him, Ino suddenly broke into a run. As she rounded a nearby fence, Shikamaru heard her voice drifting back to him.

"It… it _never_ happened!"

He stood there mutely, a flood of strange feelings eating away at him. Jamming his hands in his pants pockets, Shikamaru finally started to trudge off home.

"Girls… are such an annoying _pain_," he muttered darkly.


	4. Fence

**Naruto Fanfic – "Fence"**

_Written October 2006 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: Another short one also based on LJ Thirty Kisses. This one merits a slightly higher rating, too._

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It was close to midnight and the darkness inside the Yamanaka household felt absolute. Yet ironically for a girl who was a creature of the daylight, tonight it felt like a dear friend. She huddled in her bedroom listening to the sounds of the night, lost in a turmoil of thoughts, waiting and wondering… until she heard the pebble striking her window.

Ino shivered.

Quietly, with all her ninja trained stealth, she tiptoed across the floor and slid the window open. She paused, ears straining to detect the faintest sound of movement stirring within the house… but the silence continued. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ino slowly leaned out the window and looked down. And then her heart began to race with another kind of anxiety.

He was standing in the street directly below looking up at her. The fierce expression in his dark eyes sent a bolt of lightning through her nerves. Ino found herself grasping the ledge firmly, feeling the need to steady herself.

"Come out, Ino," Shikamaru whispered.

Ino wobbled under a feeling so intense it threatened to squeeze the breath out of her.

"No, Shikamaru," she whispered back as loudly as she dared. "Don't do this. Go home… _please_."

His face darkened as if he had expected her to say that. But instead of turning to leave, his eyes seemed to grow fiery. Ino discovered she couldn't look away from the intense gaze now directed at her.

"I'm not leaving."

_Why_ did he have to say stubborn things like that? Taking a deep breath, she fought to keep her voice steady lest it betray her. To her horror, what came out sounded more like a plea than a reprimand:

"Please… I _can't_."

Shikamaru seemed to think so, too. He took a step forward.

"I'm coming up then."

She could see that he was really going to do it. Ino knew she had to stop him; if she didn't, if Shikamaru got inside her room again…

"_No!_ Wait… I'm going down. To the gate."

Ino pulled herself back into the room without waiting for a reply, feeling at a complete loss as to what she should do. She knew that coming down to him was a step in the wrong direction, but what other choice did she have? She _had_ to persuade him to leave for his own good… and hers.

Sliding out her bedroom door, Ino paused in the hallway to listen again. Her heart hammering in fear, she felt like a frightened mouse in her own home, yet with good cause. She had no desire to awaken the sleeping tiger within.

A few tense minutes later, she succeeded in slipping out the back door of the house without incident. Pausing again to gather her resolve, Ino looked across the small enclosed yard towards the back gate. Her heart began to race again – Shikamaru was already standing there, just outside the fence. She hurried towards him.

"It's the middle of the night! Why are you here?" Ino scolded quietly. But she still drew up against the fence, as close to Shikamaru as she dared. Even so, she gripped the fence bars tightly, grateful for their unyielding security. Nothing would happen as long as she kept them in between.

Likewise leaning up against the bars, Shikamaru appeared no less undeterred than before. "You know why," he answered, wrapping his hands around hers. "Or are you in the habit of sitting up late for no reason?"

Ino blushed, conscious of the way his fingers were rubbing along her hands. She struggled to speak more firmly, but even she could tell that her voice was filled more with worry than anger.

"Shikamaru, I'm serious. You _shouldn't_ be here. If he finds out, if he catches us again…!"

"I'm not afraid of your father."

"You ought to be. _I'm_ afraid – for you!"

Although Ino hoped this reminder would bring him to his senses, her warning had the opposite effect. Shikamaru's eyes softened and a small half-smile played about his mouth. He reached through the fence to stroke her cheek, and Ino felt her skin begin to heat up under the graze of his fingers. Why did his touch make her feel so weak?

"Come out," he murmured.

"I… I…" she stammered.

Shikamaru's hand slid down along her neck, and suddenly Ino's back arched involuntarily as he slowly caressed the sensitive area at its base. A gasp of pleasure and shock escaped her mouth. He'd only recently discovered that particular trick, and she was surprised that he would stoop to using it now. This was bad. He was only growing bolder. She ought to pull away…

But as if reading her thoughts, Shikamaru grasped Ino firmly by the neck and pulled her forward. Pushing against the barrier of the fence, his mouth found hers, and he kissed her so fiercely that she felt her head grow light. She could hardly feel her hands clinging to the rails, which she dimly realized was the only reason she was still standing. How could it be that this bold, passionate man had been hiding behind a slacker's facade all these years? What madness had she unleashed?

Too soon for Ino, Shikamaru broke the kiss and stepped away. Without his support, she found herself sagging helplessly against the bars. Blinking dazedly as she gazed up at him, Ino shivered again: the fierce glow had returned to his eyes.

"I want you, Ino," he urged softly. "Come out to me."

Walking in a dream, Ino sensed her hand moving as if by its own volition towards the gate latch. Lifting it gently, she swung open the gate and passed outside the fence. One last step and she was in his arms again.

"Yes, Shikamaru," she whispered.

He took her by the hand and led her out into the night.


	5. Look Over Here

**Naruto Fanfic – "Look Over Here"**

_Written November 2006 by Astra M_

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Author's Note: Again inspired by LJ Thirty Kisses. This short doesn't have a specific time frame or anime/manga reference. Just pure fun!_

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They were sitting on a bench during a hasty lunch, snatching a few minutes together before they each had to return to their duties. Their talk had somehow turned into a discussion about their respective techniques, and Ino found herself explaining the finer points of her _Shinranshin no Jutsu_ to Shikamaru. Although she knew this wasn't something she should be doing with someone outside of the family, Ino wasn't worried. It was Shikamaru, after all.

"…and that's basically how it's done. Perform the hand signs and _voila_ – you can make your target do whatever you want just by thinking about it!"

She stopped talking to take a gulp of tea while Shikamaru paused thoughtfully over his bowl of rice.

"I see. It's essentially a specialized form of hypnosis… interesting." Then he shrugged. "Huh. If _that's_ all there is to it, then it's a piece of cake. I can do it, too."

Ino almost choked on her tea. Putting the cup down, she threw him a withering look.

"No, you can't – it's a Yamanaka family specialty! Even _you_ can't pick it up just by hearing me explain it once! It takes a lot of practice, chakra, and a certain natural aptitude. My family has been perfecting it for _generations_."

"But it's hardly a bloodline trait, right? So theoretically anyone can do it."

"Well… _maybe_," Ino admitted reluctantly. "But that hardly means _you_ can become an expert at it overnight!"

Shikamaru put his bowl down and cast a sidelong glance at Ino.

"So… is that a _challenge_?"

Ino looked uncertainly at her teammate. Shikamaru had that special gleam in his eye as he regarded her, the one that meant he was looking forward to winning a battle. It gave her a moment's pause. The truth was that she _was_ in awe of his abilities and perhaps even just a _little_ bit frightened of him – not that she would ever let him know that. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Nara Shikamaru… there's just no way. Even someone as… as _smart_ as you can't do that!"

His smirk transformed into an indecently pleased grin.

"All right, Ino. By the end of the day, I'll _prove_ to you that I can make you do whatever I want… just by _thinking_ about it."

"You're _bluffing_…" protested Ino. Her voice, however, sounded unsure.

Shikamaru continued observing her coolly.

"And what's more, I won't use any hand signals to perform it – just my mind alone."

At that Ino scoffed, her nervousness instantly vanishing.

"Ha! Now I _know_ you're crazy, Shikamaru. We _both_ know you can't do that."

Shaking her head, Ino again reached out for her tea... when suddenly she felt a tingling sensation racing up her spine. Startled, she nearly knocked the cup over.

Then there was a soft voice whispering in her ear.

"Are you _sure_ about that?"

Ino shivered as she watched Shikamaru walking off, noting the cunning glint in his dark eyes.

* * *

Ino was sitting at a table in the library later that afternoon, her mind only half attuned to the large textbook she was perusing. She was too preoccupied with wondering about Shikamaru's declaration. Was it really possible? Could he actually pull off copying a moderately advanced _jutsu_ in less than a day, using nothing but sheer willpower? It was absurd, and yet he seemed so _sure_ of himself…

She suddenly noticed a prickling on the back of her neck. Looking up from the book, Ino obeyed a mysterious compulsion to turn around in her seat. Then with a shocked yelp, she swung around fully.

Shikamaru was sitting at the table directly behind her, a knowing smirk on his face. He merely arched a brow wryly at her outburst, raising a finger to his lips in a mock 'shushing' gesture.

Ino glared. Then with a haughty toss of her hair, she picked up her textbook and moved around to the other side of the table so that she was facing Shikamaru. Covertly watching him, she made a point to keep her eyes trained down on the text. But she really couldn't concentrate on her book anymore.

* * *

An hour later, Ino was walking through the stacks. She had given up on sitting at the table – it was just too distracting keeping a certain black-haired boy in her peripheral vision. And she really needed to get some research done. She was struggling to balance three overlarge books and two scrolls in her arms, keeping her eyes peeled for a private alcove where she could safely hide herself away for awhile…

_Look over here, Ino._

She jumped. The books and scrolls tumbled from her hands and hit the floor with a loud thud.

What was that? A voice in her head?

An impulse caused Ino to tilt her head towards the ceiling – and there she spotted Shikamaru looking down at her. He was standing on the half-floor above, leaning against the railing with his chin propped in his hand. An amused grin lit his face.

"Need a hand, Ino?"

"_No_ thank you, Shikamaru."

With several angry sniffs (and even more furtive glances up towards Shikamaru), Ino hastily gathered up her books and stalked away.

* * *

Another hour later found Ino wondering if she was slowly becoming paranoid. Or perhaps merely being driven insane. In either case, she knew precisely _who_ was doing it to her… the annoying jerk.

Thanks to Shikamaru, she'd unwittingly become caught up in a game of cat and mouse. No sooner did she think herself safe when some hypersensitive sixth sense alerted her to his presence, usually when he was mere yards away. Up and down the aisles, behind the stacks, outside the carrels – wherever she went, she could feel him hovering nearby. And she was always _responding_ by immediately searching him out…

Unfortunately, Ino still wasn't sure if the compulsion was all in _her_ head… or if it was all in _his_.

In either case, she'd been driven to complete distraction. Giving up entirely on getting any actual work done, Ino was now flitting through the giant stacks of scrolls in a subbasement. She was hoping to resurface somewhere near the front entrance and perhaps make a break for the courtyard, where at least she could put some open space between her and Shikamaru. And then she'd _really_ let him have it –!

_Look over here, Ino._

She ground to a halt. Shikamaru was leaning in the doorframe of the exit staircase, a smug grin on his face. Chagrined, Ino quickly backed up against the wall. She pointed a warning finger at him. It was time to call his bluff.

"It's no use, Shikamaru! You can't do anything if I can see what you're up to – and you _can't_ employ your chakra effectively without using your hands!"

With a calm shrug, Shikamaru pulled his hands out of his pockets. Holding them up, he began to walk slowly towards Ino.

"But I already _am_ using the _jutsu_, Ino. Ever since I left you at the cart today…" He smiled languidly as he drew closer. "I _know_ you've been feeling it – I've seen how you've reacted _every_ time I've used it this afternoon… just like right now."

Ino gasped in realization: that strange prickling was again running up and down her body, setting her nerves tingling. Her eyes widened in shock.

"_No_… it's impossible…! Your chakra – there's just _no way!"_

She pressed herself helplessly against the wall, feeling strangely hypnotized as he came up next to her. Leaning over her, Shikamaru dropped his head until his mouth was next to her ear:

"Look at me, Ino," he murmured.

Unthinkingly, Ino swiveled her face towards him – and quickly found her mouth engulfed by his. Her eyes fluttered shut as she lost herself in the pleasure of his ardent ministrations. After a heady moment, they broke apart.

"How did you _do_ that?" Ino asked breathlessly.

Shikamaru grinned again.

"Call it a _Nara_ family variation on a Yamanaka _jutsu_…" He leaned in to press his lips to hers again. "I just concentrated on getting you to kiss me."


	6. Unrivaled

**Naruto Fanfic – "Unrivaled"**

_Written December 2006 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: You know the drill, again inspired by 30 Kisses. This one would theoretically be set during the Naruto II arc (possibly even III for all I know)._

* * *

It had been three whole years since Uchiha had run away from Konoha. Three years since the near-disastrous 'rescue' mission Shikamaru had been assigned, that bitter baptism of fire that officially began his career as a _chuunin_. And it had only been during the last three months with the fierce battle against Akatsuki and Orochimaru that the knowledge of his whereabouts finally reached his old friends, and the slimmest ray of hope for his return had been extended – and cruelly snatched away, by _his_ own hand.

Yet somehow against all odds and all logic… Sasuke had come back home again. Perhaps it was primarily due to luck, or disillusionment, or even a good measure of Sasuke's own perverse willfulness. Most definitely much of it had to do with Naruto's equally single-minded stubbornness. But whatever the reason, Sasuke had parted ways with Orochimaru and had been welcomed back into the fold, and Naruto had finally made good on his promise to Sakura.

And just like that, things returned to a surreal imitation of what they had been before he'd left. It seemed not to matter how many lives had been damaged by Uchiha's selfish actions – only the fact that the 'incomparable Sasuke' was within reach again… Funny how little some things changed.

Shikamaru was _sick_ of it.

Tonight he was waiting patiently in an alley that fed into a quiet, deserted street – the one that led to the apartment where Sasuke lived. He'd already been there for close to an hour when he finally spotted his target: a willowy figure with long, blonde hair who suddenly appeared on the corner. She seemed to hesitate for a few moments, and then she began walking down the sidewalk with a determined strut. Shikamaru waited until she'd gone past before emerging from the shadows behind her.

"Where are you going all by yourself tonight, Ino?"

Starting guiltily, Ino whipped back around.

"Shikamaru…" she breathed. The shocked expression in her eyes quickly turned into anger. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm just going for a walk. That's _all_."

Drawing close to her, Shikamaru scowled. She had always been a bad liar. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Ino could lie like the devil whenever she was employing her arts as a spy. But even with her considerable skills she'd never been able to pull the wool over Shikamaru's eyes – he could _always_ see right through her. Especially when the truth was so painfully obvious…

"Dressed up like _that_? So late at night on a street _far_ from home?" He gave a sardonic chuckle. "Try me again."

Ino bristled. She crossed her arms defensively as she shot Shikamaru a frosty glare. "If you must know, I'm going to see Sasuke."

"Don't you really mean you're going to crash his date with Sakura?"

"It's not a date!" she cried hotly. "Sakura just _wishes_ that it was!"

"No, maybe it's not," he agreed quietly. "But that doesn't mean they couldn't use the private time together – especially after all they've been through. You should _respect_ that, Ino."

Her face crumpling into a petulant frown, Ino turned angrily away from him. "Why should I? It's not like there's anything _special_ between them!"

"Huh. Sometimes a 'special' thing can exist between two people without its being openly acknowledged." His voice now carried an edge of hurt. "And it's not good to toy with someone's feelings."

Ino swung back to face Shikamaru, looking deeply stung. "I'm _not_ playing games. I _do_ care about –!" She cut herself off abruptly, a flustered expression washing over her face. Then with an angry blush she looked down quickly. "…about _him_."

"Oh, you supposedly care so much for _him_ that you'll throw everything else away? No matter whom it hurts?" Overcome with frustration, Shikamaru reached out to grab her arm. "_Look_ at me, Ino!"

Raising her head to meet his gaze, Ino jutted out her chin stubbornly. Her eyes were alight with a determined fire. "All is fair in love and war," she answered defiantly.

"Is it?" Shikamaru muttered in a low, dangerous tone. "In that case, I'll show you a thing or two about _war_…"

Perhaps it was anger that drove him. Perhaps it was something else. At that moment Shikamaru no longer cared about the 'shoulds' and 'should nots' that normally ruled his actions. He seized Ino by her shoulders and pressed her roughly back against the wall. Before she could do so much as cry out, he had trapped her mouth in his. Levering her open, he drove a fiery kiss into her that soon had her writhing weakly in his arms. Shikamaru felt grim satisfaction: Ino's lips might say one thing, but her body never lied…

He broke the kiss at last and leaned back to examine her face as she blinked up at him. Her eyes were frightened.

"I don't want to lose out to Sakura, Shikamaru," she pleaded softly. "I just _can't_."

His grip on her tightened.

"And I'll never lose out to Sasuke, Ino," he promised quietly. "I absolutely _won't_."


	7. The Space Between Dream and Reality

**Naruto Fanfic – "The Space Between Dream and Reality"**

_Written January 2007 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: Again inspired by 30 Kisses but left in an unfinished state on the hard drive. Had to break it out because I consider this a bit of penance and a bit of therapy for my recent treatment of Shikamaru elsewhere. Courage, right?_

* * *

Shikamaru was sitting restlessly on the ground watching the campfire, feeling its heat prickling uncomfortably along his face. Choji and the others were off hunting, leaving him and Ino behind to watch the camp. It was a rare moment for them to be left alone together, and Shikamaru had a suspicion that this had been deliberate. Not that he had much idea what he should do with it.

A strange distance had sprung up between Shikamaru and Ino recently, and for once he was completely at a loss. Planning _shogi_ strategies was much easier than figuring out the people in his life, and Ino was harder than most. Her behavior towards him, once so open and predictable, had grown strangely erratic. Additionally, she had been quiet more often than not these days – likewise unusual behavior. It was almost as if a stranger had unexpectedly taken up residence in Ino's body, an elusive shadow twin who beckoned to him like a tantalizing mirage yet vanished whenever he drew close...

Did she have no idea how _frustrated_ he was getting over this?

The sound of movement to his right drew his attention, and without turning to look Shikamaru listened as Ino settled on the ground nearby. His mouth curled into a grim smile. There she was again, hovering so close yet just out of reach.

He sighed.

They sat that way for several long, silent minutes. Ensconced as he was by the warmth of the fire and the stillness of the night, the mood should have been perfect for indulging in idle contemplation. But his mind was too restless for that, the nearness of Ino was oddly too disruptive to allow him any peace. Just as Shikamaru thought that he ought to get up and go somewhere else, even if only to sink his agitated head into his bedroll, she spoke.

"It's so strange... almost like it _should_ be real yet it's _not_ quite real..."

Tilting his head curiously, Shikamaru saw what had drawn Ino's attention. She was half-twisted towards him, staring down at the shadows dancing over the ground between them. One slender hand had reached out tentatively to touch the edge of the nearest.

"Not quite real?" he asked, mystified by her actions. "What do you mean?"

In response, Ino pressed her hand further into the darkened area, almost as if she was caressing it. She appeared to be lost in thought as she traced a finger along the thickest wedge of shadow, which happened to be cast off his torso. "Shadows are such _strange_ things when you really stop to think about them."

"...Strange?" mumbled Shikamaru after a moment, for once not really following her words. Instead he found himself being slowly mesmerized by her roving hands. "You think so?"

"Well, I guess _you_ wouldn't," answered Ino lightly, in a tone that made Shikamaru's blood warm. He hadn't heard her laugh in days and was disappointed when she quickly grew serious again. But he said nothing, instead watching Ino draw her fingers upwards as if they were sifting through the darkness. "I guess _I_ think it's strange, the way you can _see_ a shadow so clearly but you can't _touch_ it. It's not a real, physical thing."

"No. It only becomes physical when I pump my chakra into it," agreed Shikamaru with a shrug. "My family's _Kagemane_ arts are all based on that."

"But Shikamaru, _how_ can that be? A shadow is formed from the absence of light - an area of nothingness. So what medium are you really working with when you use your _jutsu_?" A perturbed expression crossed Ino's face and she dropped her hand. "How is it even possible? How is it that _something_ can be created from _nothing_?"

_Isn't that the great mystery of life, Ino_? thought Shikamaru as he arched a surprised brow at her. He'd never heard Ino wax philosophical like this before. Turning over onto his side to face her better, Shikamaru cast a speculative look.

"Well... the mechanics _are_ kind of complicated. It's not an easy technique to learn." He paused, deliberately catching her eyes with his own. "... And it's something that we only share when someone becomes a member of the clan," he added carefully.

"I-I'm not trying to pry into your family secrets!" said Ino quickly, dropping her gaze and looking extremely flustered. "And I already _know_ all about chakra manipulation. I haven't forgotten my academy lessons."

Silence stretched between them once more. Shikamaru saw Ino fidgeting with her hair; she seemed to be trying to keep her hands occupied and off the ground. He thought the action deeply intriguing, especially coupled with the pensive expression on her face. So he contented himself by simply watching her, and several minutes passed before Ino spoke again.

"What I'm trying to say is... in my _head_ I get all that. But in my _heart_... I just don't know."

Only slightly distracted from his inspection of the interesting way the firelight was playing along her hair, Shikamaru made a show of beetling his brows. "...What don't you know?"

"Somehow, even though you say that, it still seems like an elaborate trick to me."

"A _trick_?" he asked, growing confused.

"Don't you think it's a... what is that word again? A _paradox_?"

Finally forcing himself to pay closer attention, Shikamaru sat up straighter. "Explain, please."

"_How_ can I explain it?" Ino sighed. Cupping her hands beneath her chin, she briefly closed her eyes, lost in thought. When she opened them again, she lifted her face towards Shikamaru. "Has it ever struck you how much a shadow is... like a _dream_? When you go to sleep, you shut your eyes and everything seems so real, but when the morning comes and you open them up - it was all just a _lie_. And the dream felt so true, it was so _good_, that you were actually sorry to wake up?"

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to look away. "...Yeah," he mumbled quietly.

Ino smiled ruefully. Staring back down at the darkened patch next to Shikamaru, she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "Well... shadows are like that. Even though they have a form, and an effect, and you can see them, there's still nothing really _there_ - it's just like an illusion, a trick played by light." She stretched out a finger again, poking wistfully at the ground as her voice grew softer. "And... it's hard to put your trust in something like that. How can you know that what you think is there is _really_ there, that's it's not all in your head, that it won't simply vanish in the sun? How could something so iffy ever become _real_?"

The traces of a smirk formed along Shikamaru's mouth as he considered her comments. He was caught between amusement at her illogical argument and surprise that he actually understood what she was really getting at. He felt a sense of ease returning as the oppressive spirit he'd been recently straining under suddenly lifted.

"Well, that's easy, Ino. It's our chakra that makes all the difference, of course."

"I told you I already _know_ that," said Ino. "But I still -."

"No, no - you're not listening," Shikamaru interrupted patiently. "The answer is chakra - _think_ about it."

Now it was Ino sending back the confused look. "Explain, please."

He looked keenly at her. "Chakra is our spirit, our stamina - it's basically our _will_, Ino. Yes, it's the essential medium that activates a _jutsu_, it's the force that turns an empty thing like a shadow into a physical reality... but it's more than just that."

Shikamaru paused, thinking deeply about the long, hard path he'd taken to reach this understanding, and how much he'd grown over the years. "You say that shadows are like dreams - but dreams aren't merely empty things. They're goals that give us purpose and direction in our lives." He gazed at her with eyes that were both surprisingly empathetic and tender. "And it's our choices and our desires that mark the boundary between what we merely dream for and what becomes reality. The only thing that holds us back is... our own _fear_."

Ino shifted uncomfortably, growing flustered again. She seemed inordinately focused on fingering the edges of the shadow. "But people don't fear the dark - the _unknown_ - without reason. So many bad things happen under the cover of darkness... when you can't see what's coming. When you're not _sure_ of what things really are."

"Maybe. But even so... fear is still a _choice_," he said quietly. "I'd like to think that our will is stronger."

Ino's hand briefly contracted, but then slowly relaxed. Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she casually began tracing a long line. "Our will is stronger..." she murmured, as if repeating a mantra.

Another minute of silence passed, but this time without discomfort. Somewhere in the back of his mind Shikamaru knew that it was reckless behavior, but the sight of Ino's fingers playing with the outline of his body was having a powerful effect on him. Feeling emboldened, he threw caution to the wind and surreptitiously performed a hand sign.

Ino started as the shadow surrounding her hand withdrew like a wave and pooled into a dark mass shaped like a limb. Then the dark tendril came to life and lifted up off the ground. Forming a hand it began to snake its way towards her. Ino barely had time to shoot a startled glance at Shikamaru before she let out small gasp - the hand had sinuously wound its way over a hip and came to rest on her bare torso.

Her muscles tensed at the unexpected intimacy, and Ino found herself staring down at her waist in mute astonishment. Then she looked hastily over at Shikamaru. She noticed that he was watching her expectantly, waiting for her next cue before trying anything more. She could practically hear his voice speaking inside her head:

_It's your choice, Ino._

Ino immediately felt herself relax. Then reaching up, she slowly twined her fingers with the shadow's.

Shikamaru let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The shadow hand suddenly melted and split into three appendages, which curled themselves securely around her thighs and waist. Ino next found herself being lifted and carefully pulled across the distance, until she was dropped into Shikamaru's arms. As the shadow _jutsu_ faded away, he rolled Ino onto her back and smiled gently down at her.

"So what's it going to be, Ino?"

With a sigh she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. Then she took a leap of faith and leaned forward.


	8. The Road Home

**Naruto Fanfic – "The Road Home"**

_Written January 2007 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: This began its life as another 30Kisses theme vignette, but started to grow into a larger story. Sadly, I simply don't have the time to invest in fleshing it out fully, so it's here in its most bare form. (Actually, there are a lot of them here that are like that.)_

* * *

Something was terribly wrong.

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember what had happened or how she'd come to this place. All she really knew was that she felt like she was suspended in an immense void, struggling under a sense of intense disorientation. Moreover, she was plagued by a feeling of _deja vu_ without really understanding _why_ that should be. If only she could _see_ something...!

Then, just as true panic was threatening to take root, a long-buried memory came to her unbidden...

_**

* * *

-the past-**_

_

* * *

...where ...am ...I?_

There was no sound, no motion, and no sensation. Yet somehow she had enough self-awareness to sense that things were not as they should be, and that she seemed to be floating inside an impenetrable gray mist that covered everything. She could not remember her name, or if she even existed before this moment. All she really knew was that she was desperately searching for something. She _had_ to find it, and quickly...

/are you lost, little one?/

A soft, glowing orb the size of a firefly materialized out of the grayness before her. It bobbed around in an enticing manner, and she found herself being drawn to its cold light.

_...I ...don't ...know ..._

The words sounded strange and distant, and it was difficult to even think them. Perhaps it was an effect of the mist - everything felt so horribly disconnected.

The firefly light began to weave excitedly.

/ah, poor dear, to not even know that! such a pity, but then... i don't suppose you know _why_ you are here?/

_...looking ...for ...something ... ...can't ...find ...it ..._

The firefly darted in closer, its light shining brighter.

/but surely... what you seek can't be _that_ important if you don't remember?/

She felt desperation rising up. For a moment her thoughts became clearer.

_...it's very important!_

The firefly shot away, flickering wildly before circling back. Then it began to weave sinuously in an intricate pattern of loops, its light again slowly sharpening.

/peace, child - there's no need for alarm. be calm, be still.../

Drawn by the light, she watched the hypnotic dance. Her sense of urgency bled away and soon she began to feel even more sluggish than before. It was just so mesmerizing...

/all things lost can be easily found. in fact... would you like me to _guide_ you to this thing you're seeking?/

_...you ...can ... ...help ...me?_

The firefly drew in close.

/little one, lost things... are my _specialty._/

_...okay._

In a flash the firelight shot through her. Then everything grew painfully bright and suddenly the gray mist dissipated. She now saw that she was on a grassy hilltop surrounded by wildflowers, underneath a vault of clear blue sky. Yet somehow she felt strangely detached and uninterested in her surroundings. All that she really noticed was that she appeared to be hovering a few feet above the ground...

_...who ...is ...that?_

There was a girl laying directly beneath her. She was splayed out as if she'd fallen from a height and was staring up with glassy, sightless eyes. She looked like a discarded doll.

/nothing more than an empty shell - pay it no mind. now come with me./

The firelight reappeared, now grown into a large sphere and shimmering with an eerie inner glow. It started to drift upwards. Turning away from the thing on the ground, she also began to rise up slowly...

(...no!)

She stopped.

_...did ...you ...hear ...?_

/it was nothing. hurry along.../

But inexplicably she looked back down. Something dark was gathering itself around the girl's body, drawing it close. Though indistinct, it appeared to have a form of its own...

/look _away_, my dear, and just follow me now./

The feeling of detachment weakened as curiosity piqued her. She wavered for a moment and then dropped lower.

/come away, child, _come away._/

Heedless of the call, she drew closer until she was hovering just next to the lifeless girl. Something about this seemed so... _familiar_.

/_don't look at that!_/

The strange, shadowy figure's outline was rapidly growing sharper. She could almost see its features - yes, it had a face! Now it was leaning down towards the girl's mouth... its breath was _warm_...

(INO!)

There was a stomach-dropping lurch as if she was falling heavily. Then suddenly light and wind poured into her, and her body began to feel whole and solid once more. More senses returned, and Ino realized that she was being shaken roughly. Her mouth fell open in faint protest, but all she could do was suck in a deep, shuddering gasp of air.

"It's okay now." She heard Asuma's calming voice speaking from somewhere overhead. "Put her down, Shikamaru."

The shaking stopped, and Ino felt herself being carefully laid back against the grass. Drawing in another heavenly breath, she screwed her eyes against the rapidly strengthening sunlight until at last she was able to open them.

Asuma, Choji, and Shikamaru were all watching her closely, various degrees of agitation etched on their faces.

"Wha... what happened?" she mumbled as she pushed herself upright.

"For starters, you jumped the gun and missed your target, Ino," said Asuma grimly. "And then you took your good time about getting back. Longer than what was normal."

Choji looked pale. "Geez, that was _scary_. You wouldn't respond to anything - we couldn't even tell if you were breathing!"

"What the heck were you trying to do?" demanded Shikamaru, managing to sound both annoyed and worried. "Why didn't you wait for me to finish performing the _Kagemane no jutsu _before you pulled that stunt? When you fell out of the tree I barely caught you in time!"

"I'm _sorry_ - I don't remember anything that happened before!" Ino cried, feeling utterly bewildered. Had she _really_ tried using the _Shintenshin no jutsu_ that recklessly? Then she blanched as an image of her father sprang to mind. "I just remember... being lost."

Drawing her knees up while the others watched, Ino curled into a ball as a tremor of horror raced through her blood. It was one of the many hidden risks underlying all her family's mind manipulation arts, and Inoichi had been _very_ stern in his warnings to her: it was inherently dangerous for the spirit to wander free of the body. "This separation is unnatural; the soul needs its anchor," he'd explained. "If when using the _Shintenshin no jutsu_ the spirit misses its target, there is a chance, though remote, that the spirit may be unable to find its anchor. And if that happens, Ino... only death follows."

She had been extremely lucky.

"_Lost_?" murmured Shikamaru, his voice sounding funny. "Does that really happen?"

Ino nodded, feeling sick to her stomach. "Sometimes."

"But... couldn't you _see_ anything?" wondered Choji nervously. "I mean, you never seemed to have a problem coming back before."

"I don't know _why_ it happened this time," Ino said truthfully, still stunned and confused that she had apparently done something so rash. "But I guess that when I missed my target, I just kept on wandering aimlessly - I couldn't find my way back. And everything felt so disconnected, so shrouded and dream-like..." She closed her eyes with a shudder. "It was awful - like being a ghost."

"Do you remember anything else?" pressed Shikamaru, his brows furrowing in concern.

It was his way, she knew, to collect any information he could about an unknown situation so as to be better prepared the next time. Feeling unexpectedly touched, Ino mussed over her odd recollection. Another shiver passed through her. She had a vague memory of talking to someone the entire time - but that was absurd. It _had_ to have been a fear-induced hallucination. And that wasn't the only weird thing that had happened...

"I saw myself sleeping on the ground but for some reason I couldn't get back inside. And then... it was _so_ strange... I saw something like the shadow of a person wrap around me and lift me up. Then I heard someone cry out my _name _and I felt..." Ino broke off suddenly, making a shocking connection. She threw a startled look at Shikamaru, feeling strangely nervous. "Hey! Did... did you _kiss_ me, Shikamaru?"

There was an uncomfortable moment as the other three boggled back at her.

"_What_?" Shikamaru finally sputtered, staring blankly back at Ino. Then his face turned red and he hastily backed away from her. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know!" said Ino defensively, feeling her cheeks heat uncomfortably as Asuma and Choji exchanged amused glances. "But that's _how_ I woke up - I heard you call out my name and then you... Well, it just really _felt_ like someone kissed me!"

The tension broke as Asuma and Choji began to laugh. Ino could tell her face was burning, but she was too proud to say anything else. And it didn't help that Shikamaru was eyeing her warily and looking extremely put out.

"You read too many fairy tales, Ino," he muttered.

_**

* * *

-the present-**_

* * *

Oh, yes. She remembered this place now.

Right on cue, a ball of light was forming out of the mist in front of her. It was not the small, sprightly firefly of the past, however - now it was a massive, inky globe that resembled a burning coal. It glowered at her with an ugly orange hue.

/hello, little girl. are you lost again?/

Angry defiance welled up inside her.

_I'm not a little girl anymore. And I'm not lost._

To prove her point, she thought about her father's training and concentrated on focusing her errant conscience. Immediately the grayness dispersed, and Ino found herself once more on the large, grassy hilltop covered with wildflowers. She was hovering a few feet above the ground again... and there just below lay her unmoving body.

/ooo, self-awareness. it won't help you./

Ino laughed.

_I'm not the same weak girl I was the first time I ran into you._

The burning orb shimmered. It seemed like it was laughing at her in turn.

/nor i, child. look down./

With a start, Ino realized that her body was rapidly being sucked beneath the grass as if sinking in water. In a second it was gone, the ground swiftly returning to its undisturbed state.

/mind-walker, do you really believe you can get past me?/

For a moment the air around her dimmed to gray and swirled as Ino thought she would panic. But no - she would _not_ forget her father's training. What she needed now was her _anchor_...

Calming herself, the grassy hill came back into focus. Ino sank down until she came to rest on the patch of ground that had swallowed her body.

/what foolishness is this? do you _really_ think you'll get your anchor back that way?/

Ignoring the fiery orb floating just above her, Ino tried forgetting that she had no form of her own and instead imagined herself laying back on the grass. It was difficult at first, but soon she believed she had achieved it - the flowers now surrounded her, the sky shone brightly above, and from below... _yes!_

She looked back up at the orb.

_Guess I'll be going now._

The ball of light shot in closer, hovering like an angry wasp. Then it flared bright red, erupting in impotent fury.

/_impossible! how...?_/

Ino smiled serenely as the darkness welled up around her and wrapped her in tight.

_I'll let you in on a secret - that wasn't my real anchor._

* * *

Consciousness returned slowly, but it did not matter. Ino knew that she was finally back in the safest place she had ever known, held securely within his arms...

"...Did you kiss me this time, Shikamaru?" she murmured drowsily, waiting for her senses to fully recover. She felt herself being pulled closer and heard a soft chuckle.

"Whatever it takes to bring you home... I'll do it."


	9. Cradle

**Naruto Fanfic – "Cradle"**

_Written February 2007 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: Though taken from a 30 Kisses theme, I believe it was the expression 'from cradle to grave' that really influenced this one. And a ridiculous debt of gratitude is owed to Aventri for nursing me through the writing process - some psychological blocks run deep._

* * *

Nara Ino sat huddled on the edge of the porch looking out across the yard, a thin shawl wrapped around her frail body to ward off the chill morning air. Her eyes were trained on the eastern sky, which was slowly streaking with deep, rosy bands, but dawn was still a way off. Nevertheless, she waited for the sunrise like a patient sentinel, heedless of the discomfort so many hours of sitting caused her old bones. But it was all right; Ino was used to the dull ache by now. This had become her habit of late, a way of keeping her uneasy heart preoccupied... and her tired eyes from closing.

She shivered, pulling the shawl closer.

A quiet anxiety dogged Ino these days, a creeping darkness that intruded on her dreamless catnaps during the day and haunted her weary steps throughout the night. But beyond the increased restlessness she expressed no hint of worry, and if questioned would merely smile. "Sleeplessness," she explained lightly, "is simply Nature's way of compensating me for all that time lost when I was young."

_Time lost to sleep and to dreams... never to return._

Much had changed in Ino. In truth, she did not regret the insomnia. For her life itself had now become a half-awaken dream, and she found herself inclined towards silent introspection, to reminiscing about the past with greater frequency. As with now, while she waited for the sun to break over the tree line, she could marvel in the mottled beauty of the pre-dawn twilight, imagining the ghosts of the dearly departed drifting through the shadowy groves beyond, waiting in silence...

Ino knew that there was great irony in this behavior, given the fiery impatience of her youth - maybe age had finally mellowed her. Or perhaps it was simply the many long years of being married to such a laid-back man.

Thinking about her husband, Ino's eyes fluttered shut. But she soon opened them again.

_There it is again... that feeling..._

Ino sighed. She could not remember the first time she'd sensed it - most likely she'd thought she'd only imagined it - but then it began to recur with increasing frequency, especially in the last few months. And now, even during the daytime but especially at night, whenever she shut her eyes, if even for a moment's rest... there it was.

A feeling of... _looseness_ inside.

Ino couldn't help wondering if this was a hidden, long-term side effect of practicing the mind-transfer arts. Although it had been years since she'd last employed any _jutsu_, the sensation was the same - she could feel something slipping free, an internal weakening as if her spirit was finding it difficult to keep its hold on her body. Now her will alone seemed to be holding it in place.

But then Ino's will had always been a powerful thing.

Perhaps, were he still alive, Ino's father would have rebuked her for such stubborn willfulness. So many of the Yamanaka clan had passed away like that, peacefully in their sleep, their spirits gone before anyone was aware of their leaving. Before his own passing, Inoichi himself had once said that for _ninja_ who cheated and meted out Death so many times, it was a surprisingly gentle way to pay their final debt.

And yet... not for her.

The low-hanging bands of clouds were turning a pale rosy hue, and the chorus of birds was quickly building when Ino finally heard movement coming from within the house. There was the sound of a screen door sliding open nearby.

"So there you are," said Shikamaru as he came out onto the porch. She listened to his footsteps come to a stop directly behind her. "Didn't feel like sleeping again?"

He knew her so well.

"No," replied Ino, still focused up on the sky. "...You couldn't either, huh?"

She knew him, too.

Shikamaru sighed heavily, ignoring her comment. Ino heard him shuffle closer and then felt something heavy being draped across her shoulders. "I wish you wouldn't sit out here all night. It's too cold for you like this," he scolded her mildly.

Ino smiled. Yes, she had rubbed off on him over time as well.

"Will you sit with me?"

Shikamaru said nothing, but Ino did not turn around. Without looking, she could see him rubbing the back of his head, appearing to think her proposal over. "Ehh... I don't know. It's so much work just to sit down these days."

Ino tugged at the blanket in an inviting manner. "Come on, old man. I'll even let you share."

He groaned. "Troublesome woman," Shikamaru finally murmured, but with affection, prompting yet another smile from Ino. Maybe some habits never died, but they grew more endearing over time.

With some effort, Shikamaru settled himself on the wooden floor behind Ino. Then he slowly scooted forward until his legs and arms slid around his wife, and he was able to enfold her within the frame of his body. As Shikamaru readjusted the blanket, Ino very briefly shut her eyes, enjoying the warmth of their intimacy. She couldn't help it. Old as they both were, she always felt young again when he did this with her.

Several minutes passed as they sat together quietly, watching as golden bands began to paint the undersides of the clouds, until Ino spoke.

"Shikamaru, do you remember the very first time you held me in your arms like this?"

To her surprise, he snorted.

"No," Shikamaru said. "As the story goes, we were both newborns. And it got me banned from your crib in any case."

Ino laughed, recalling the old tale their fathers had once told them about their first day together in the Konoha hospital. "All right, fair enough - I don't remember that happening, either. But after that?"

"Hmm... I think we were both in pre-school. I was peacefully minding my own business when out of the blue you tackled me in the sandbox."

"Out of the blue? It was because you fell asleep and rolled over my sand castle." Ino clucked her tongue with a long-practiced air of wry annoyance. "I worked so hard on that thing all recess, and it took you all of five seconds to wreck it - and I can't believe you actually remembered that!"

"You'd be surprised at what I can recall, Ino. I remember all kinds of trivial things that'd embarrass you if I repeated them," whispered Shikamaru teasingly in her ear. But then he suddenly dropped the playful tone, turning his voice gruffly husky. "And I remember all of the really important ones, too."

"Do you really?" she wondered softly.

Shikamaru readjusted his grip on his wife.

"...The first time I really remember holding you was during our _genin_ days. That day when Asuma told us we were going to become _jutsu_ partners, and that we had to start practicing together. You were going to pass out - and I had to catch you."

"I remember that," said Ino quietly. "I was so upset about it... angry because you weren't somebody else."

"I know," answered Shikamaru. "I wasn't so happy about having to hold a girl myself. And I was nervous on top of that - I thought I'd wind up dropping you and then you'd clobber me."

Ino laughed lightly. "I was nervous, too. I thought you wouldn't even try to catch me and drop me on purpose."

"I wouldn't have done that."

"I know - I found out," Ino replied tenderly. "When I opened my eyes afterwards, you were there holding me up... I think I was so surprised that I actually said _thank you_."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Yeah. I'll always remember that moment. Somehow I'd never noticed before then how nice your smile was... when you aimed it at me."

They fell silent. Feeling sleepiness starting to take over, Ino spoke up again.

"Was that really your favorite memory of holding me?"

"No. That was only my _first_ memory," answered Shikamaru. "My favorite is the first time I carried you over the threshold of this house. I held you a lot that night."

"Mmm... you did," she sighed, tingling with warmth. It brought a rush of fondly treasured memories, including one that occurred in due time afterwards. "My own favorite was the day I told you I was pregnant. We sat out here that night like we are now, and you wrapped your arms around my waist, and just held me..." She snuggled in closer to him. "We've had a good life, haven't we?"

"Yeah..." agreed Shikamaru, sounding solemnly contemplative. "Even though things didn't go the way I thought they would."

Ino twisted her head up curiously at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm. For starters, I was going to marry an average woman."

"I _see_," she said wryly.

"And then I was going to have two children. First a girl, and afterwards a boy..."

"But we had twins - and I was so _fat_!"

"So it was more efficient - and you never looked better," said Shikamaru with amusement. "I was going to be an average guy and live an average life..."

"Well you really messed that one up, didn't you?"

They laughed together softly. Lulled by the sound of her husband's heartbeat, Ino blinked her eyes sleepily. The sun was nearly up now.

_Where do all the days go, Shikamaru? It feels like it was only yesterday that I woke up in your arms for the very first time. Time goes by so fast... why does it have to end?_

Shikamaru cleared his throat. His hands caressed her arms gently.

"And then... _I_ was supposed to die first," he finished quietly. "Less troublesome for me."

Ino drew in her breath sharply.

_He knew. _

...But _of course_ he knew. For so many years now Shikamaru had been her husband, her teammate, her best friend, her lover... He had known her for what seemed like forever. Indeed, in a sense, he had known her almost from the moment of her birth...

"I can't close my eyes anymore," confessed Ino, the weight of her exhaustion returning in full force. "I'm so _afraid_, Shikamaru."

There. She finally said it. She waited anxiously as Shikamaru shifted forward.

"...Don't be," he murmured gruffly. "You don't need to be."

"I can't help it. I don't want to leave you." Ino gripped his arms tightly, struggling not to shut her eyes. "I want to stay right _here_."

Shikamaru said nothing, and a broken smile flitted across Ino's face as she considered her own words. She half expected him to make a perfectly rational comment, to advise her not to ask for impossible things he couldn't give her...

Instead Shikamaru buried his face in the back of Ino's neck. His hands came up to enclose hers and pressed tight.

"I was born one day before you," he said softly, rocking her gently back against him. "And when you leave, I'll go out one day after. My life encircles yours, Ino - I'll cradle you forever."

Something broke.

Tears rolled down Ino's face, but her heart felt as light as the mist steaming off the frosted ground. As the first rays of sunlight touched her face, she could sense her spirit unwinding slowly from inside, and she let out a grateful sigh. The long night was over.

"Kiss me, Shikamaru," she whispered faintly. "Please kiss me once more and then... carry me to bed."

With the greatest of care, Shikamaru leaned his wife back and reached up to cup her chin. Tilting her face towards his, he kissed her long and deeply - a kiss with all the familiar tenderness of a mature soulmate and the ardent passion of a young lover... a kiss composed of their many years together, released into the glow of the reborn day.

Sensing her husband's arms drawing closed around her, Ino at last shut her weary eyes and felt herself slipping off into the gentle, waiting darkness.

She felt no fear. Her Shika always kept his promises.


	10. Ten

**Naruto Fanfic – "Ten"**

_Written June 2007 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: Originally began its life as a Team Ten introspective, and then warped itself into something else entirely. And in spite of the 30Kisses theme, this one lacks a kiss. Oops!_

* * *

Shikamaru's eyes travelled swiftly across the _shogi_ board, his faintly creased brows betraying the barest hint of concentration as he reached out and slid a piece over. Then he leaned back and smirked.

"Checkmate."

From across the board Asuma heaved a long-practiced sigh as he assessed the damage. "Hmm... and my luck's been so good lately - I thought I was finally bound to beat you for once. Ah, well." With a good-natured grin he began to dig a fresh cigarette out of his vest. "So what do I owe you this time?"

Shikamaru shrugged in apparent indifference, but his mind was already mulling over the possibilities. In spite of the innumerable things Asuma 'owed' him, it seemed that his _sensei_ had a wily way of getting out of many of them. Well, that just meant Shikamaru had to think of something more creative - or devious. Probably he should start with those annoying cigarettes...

"Aha! I _thought_ I'd find you here, Master Asuma."

Surprise distracted Shikamaru from his plans at the sound of this particular voice. He swiveled his head just enough to observe the unexpected visitor through his peripheral vision, the corners of his mouth turning downward automatically. What was _she_ doing here?

"Hey there, Ino," greeted Asuma, likewise appearing astonished at his pupil's unusual visit. "What's going on with you?"

"I'm here to deliver a letter for you," answered Ino matter-of-factly. Then she broke into a mischievous grin. "It's a _special_ message, courtesy the Yamanaka flower shop."

"_Ah_. And is your family in the courier business now?" asked Asuma wryly as she handed over the note. Shikamaru detected a faint waft of perfume in the air and lifted a brow. It didn't smell like Ino's.

"Only for those certain cases we deem important," said Ino archly as she crossed her arms behind her back. "We like to keep our faithful customers happy, after all."

Shikamaru's gaze narrowed suspiciously. For lack of a better term, Ino looked very much like the cat who swallowed the canary. Her eyes were fairly dancing as she avidly watched Asuma perusing his message, and Shikamaru was certain that she was trying her hardest to suppress a giggling fit. His frown increased as he was struck by the visual incongruity: such behavior always made Ino appear alluringly girlish in spite of her barely-there outfits. It was so strangely troublesome...

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" asked Ino suddenly. He noticed that she was brushing her hand concernedly across her chest, fussing at the fabric. "Is there something on my clothes?"

"What?" mumbled Shikamaru, shaken out of his reverie. An uncomfortable prickling shot through him as he quickly dropped his gaze. "Er... no."

A confused, irritated expression broke across Ino's face. "Then why were you staring at me?"

"I wasn't _staring_ at you," retorted Shikamaru swiftly. Determinedly keeping his eyes fixed on the _shogi_ board, he added brusquely: "I was thinking about stuff and just staring off into space - and you happened to get in the way."

Ino's lips pressed into a thin line and a deeply offended look flickered through her countenance. But then she rolled her eyes in an "it's Shikamaru, so it figures" manner and abruptly returned her attention to Asuma. But she was no longer jovial.

"Well, enjoy your letter," she snapped. Then she tossed her head and added airily: "I'm off to find better company myself."

"Oh, are you?" said Asuma mildly as he refolded the note and carefully tucked it into his vest. Glancing over, he caught Shikamaru rolling his eyes down at the _shogi_ board. Asuma's mouth curved into an amused smile as he addressed Ino. "So I take it that means you've finally found someone special again? Some other boy who can compete with Sasuke?"

"Ha! _No one_ can compete with Sasuke," asserted Ino haughtily, unmindful of the low grunt that escaped Shikamaru. "But a girl has to keep looking anyway. And I know there's a prince out there waiting just for me - a cute, strong, totally awesome boy who's just like Sasuke in every way." A petulant frown suddenly crossed her face as Ino tugged unhappily at her hair. "I just have to _find_ him first..."

"I see how it is," said Asuma wisely. "You're basically waiting for the perfect person to come along, eh?"

Ino shot her teacher an odd look, as if he were stating the obvious. "Well, of course I am! What girl _doesn't_ want the best boy around?"

Saying nothing more, Asuma merely nodded. Satisfied, Ino turned her back on them and with a wave of her hand flounced off towards the gate. As he watched her go, Asuma began to think about the letter in his vest, a contemplative expression on his face. Then a dry snort cut across his thoughts, drawing his attention back to his surly companion.

"Huh. I'd say that proves Ino just doesn't know anything about guys at all."

"Oh?" murmured Asuma interestedly. He examined Shikamaru keenly for a moment, his smile quickly turning sly. "So... what do you know about _girls_, Shikamaru?"

"Eh?" stammered Shikamaru as his head jerked up to gape at Asuma, taken completely aback. He'd had no intention of getting into this kind of conversation when he'd opened his mouth - it was only meant as a snide comment against Ino. Then to his deep chagrin Shikamaru felt himself going red as Asuma's grin broadened.

"Oh, come on. There's no need to be shy with me," laughed Asuma as he watched Shikamaru squirm uncomfortably. He had to admit that it was something of a treat to watch his former pupil lose his cool like this. "You _do_ like girls, don't you?"

"... Maybe," mumbled Shikamaru reluctantly after a moment, struggling to get his emotions under control again. "When they're not being complete pains in the _butt_, that is. And we're supposed to be playing _shogi_ here, Asuma."

"In a minute, Shikamaru. So what are you looking for? What's your idea of a perfect girl like?" persisted Asuma, who had no intention of letting this subject drop in spite of Shikamaru's discomfort. Noting the stubborn bent that entered his face, an idea struck Asuma. "We both know that _Ino's_ is a shining prince. Are you looking for a princess, too?"

An appalled look flashed through Shikamaru's eyes, goading his tongue into action. "Hell no," he blurted out. "And if you _insist_ on knowing, I decided back when I was a kid the kind of girl I'd marry - a perfectly average, normal girl!"

"Normal?" Asuma cocked a brow curiously. "Well, I guess that sounds all right... but what's 'normal' for you?"

"Oh, come on, Asuma - normal as in _normal_," answered Shikamaru with annoyance. "Some girl who isn't extreme in any way. Not too stupid or too brilliant. Not too talented or too inept. Not too saccharine or too mean. Not an ugly girl..." he continued, suddenly looking off in the direction Ino had left. "Or too freaking beautiful for her own good. And frankly not all-around _too much_." Shikamaru frowned, and then a sigh escaped him as he looked back down at the _shogi_ board. "Just an average person... like me," he finished quietly.

"Average like you, huh?" said Asuma as he idly tapped a finger on the edge of the game board. "Hmm. I suppose there's something to be said for sticking within your limits... assuming they really exist, that is." He paused, then added softly: "And that it's not being used as an excuse to cover for something _else_."

Shikamaru gazed up at Asuma, feeling unaccountably tenser than before. "What exactly are you saying?"

In response, Asuma pulled the cigarette from his mouth and fixed Shikamaru with a stern look. "For starters, I'm saying that it's interesting how different and yet how similar you and Ino act sometimes, and over the most unexpected things. Take love for instance. Neither of you are realistic about it in the slightest: she aims too high, whereas you don't aim at all. Personally, I think you'd both be a lot happier if you met each other somewhere in the middle."

Shikamaru felt the air go out of him as if he'd been punched in the stomach. "_Love?_" he sputtered, thrown badly off by this frank observation. Coherence fled him as he tried to regain his composure. "I'm not... me and Ino... I _don't_...!"

"Easy, Shikamaru," murmured Asuma calmly, though with a trace of amusement. "I'm not trying to imply anything in particular. I'm just saying that I often wonder if either of you two know what it is you really want in a romantic partner. Your expectations don't bear out at all."

"You can't be serious." Shikamaru stared incredulously at his _sensei_, his rationality fully restored by his indignation. "How can you honestly say that _my_ expectations are unrealistic? How can they be as bad as Ino's? Or do you know any so-called knights in shining armor you haven't introduced me to?"

"'Course not," admitted Asuma as he took a drag from the cigarette. "We both know that's a ridiculous myth Ino will have to figure out for herself eventually. But leaving her out of it for the time being, let's talk about _your_ issues."

"I don't have any issues," muttered Shikamaru as he began pointedly arranging the pieces on the board.

"Why only average?" continued Asuma as if he hadn't spoken. "Do you really think that way about yourself? Tell me, Shikamaru - all those times when Ino was going on singing Sasuke's praises and you said something against him... what was that about? Regardless of what she said, did _you_ ever consider yourself inferior to Sasuke?"

Shikamaru abruptly brought his head back up, and in spite of himself Asuma was startled by the expression burning within the dark eyes. "... No," he answered at last. "Not even once."

Asuma felt pride swelling up inside of him as he regarded his favorite student. "I didn't think so," he said approvingly, but his somber demeanor quickly returned. "But if that's not the true case, Shikamaru... then could it be you're only looking for someone ordinary because you think that an 'average' woman would make no demands on you that you couldn't fulfill?"

Shock rippled out from the brown eyes and Shikamaru hastily dropped his gaze. "That's _not_ it," he mumbled, his brows beetling perplexedly. Then aggravation flooded his face and he suddenly fired up. "Look, Asuma, you can say whatever you want about my modest aims, but the fact is a simple girl isn't going to wind up driving me crazy. I'm just not interested in dealing with a demanding, overbearing woman for the rest of my life! And I don't want to turn into whipped dog like my old man, always at the beck and call of a relentless _nag_."

Asuma merely inclined his head in sympathy. He knew all about Shikamaru's many issues with Nara Yoshino, though he privately acknowledged that his student had a rather one-sided view of things. It was another example of those paradoxical similarities Shikamaru shared with Ino - he likewise just didn't understand the opposite sex - but Asuma wisely kept this to himself. Reasonable though Shikamaru normally was, this was one of the rare areas he simply wouldn't listen. Besides, the boy was bright; he'd figure the truth out for himself... eventually.

"All right, Shikamaru. Be that as it may, let's say you do someday meet a perfectly normal girl and decide to settle down with her. Average or not, who's to say that she still won't turn out to have a few less-than-modest goals of her own? Goals she'll want you to support her in, regardless of what you think about them. And then what will you do? Maybe you'll wake up one day to find yourself married to a total stranger - it happens more often than not. People grow over time. Relationships change. It's natural."

But Shikamaru merely shook his head, the hint of a smirk returning to his face. "Don't you see, Asuma? I've already thought about this, and that's why only an _average_ girl will do." He gestured towards the _shogi_ board. "It's like this game you introduced me to - once you understand the rules, you can predict how your opponent will move given certain parameters. And to be perfectly honest, it's a lot easier to handle someone with so-so skills than one with real talent. Even if they grow, their moves keep to a certain limited range. It's not that much of a challenge to outmaneuver them."

_Ouch_, thought Asuma, supposing that this was also another way of Shikamaru bluntly assessing his former teacher's _shogi_ aptitude. "Even if that's true, sometimes an unremarkable opponent can prove themselves unpredictable. It's a serious risk to disregard that possibility."

"That's why I only take _calculated_ risks," replied Shikamaru. Then he peered at Asuma in a vaguely accusatory manner. "And besides, what's wrong with that? _You're _the one who was always reminding us never to act rashly. You don't believe in making incautious moves - you think they're unnecessarily stupid."

"Calculated risks..." murmured Asuma softly. He pulled out the cigarette and began rolling it slowly between his fingers. "...Yeah, I suppose I always have said that, haven't I...?"

Silence fell between the two. Shikamaru pretended to occupy himself by moving a few pieces experimentally as Asuma aimed unfocused eyes on the trail of smoke curling off his cigarette. After a minute he came back to his senses, and briefly touching his vest, he began speaking again.

"Did I ever tell you guys why I thought Ten was the perfect number for our team?"

Shikamaru hesitated in the middle of a move, caught off guard at the sudden shift in the conversation. "Um... no, I don't think so."

Asuma grinned wryly. "You remember how it was when you were all _genin_. You, Ino and Choji had a lot of rough moments together. It wasn't smooth sailing, especially those first couple of months. During that time, did any of you believe that Team Ten was particularly well-matched?"

Shikamaru snorted, recalling old memories. "No, we didn't."

"That's right," agreed Asuma. "But eventually you made peace, you each found your groove together. Even so, going into the first _chuunin_ exam our team was considered the weakest of the Leaf rookies - and among the whole contestant field, too. But then you all wound up scoring the highest in teamwork. You guys beat everyone. And after that... only you became a _chuunin_."

Shikamaru said nothing, instead basking in a fierce, quiet pride. He would never brag, but it was one of the precious few times he'd ever felt he had really done something worth shouting over.

Watching him, Asuma's expression grew oddly mellow. "You see what I mean, Shikamaru? Ten is a number that's often used to represent a certain gold standard... to symbolize _perfection_ as it were. But it's really an illusion - an idealized notion of what we think life should be like. It's an unrealistic ideal that we nevertheless strive for. And it's easy to set ourselves up by thinking that we have to meet a certain set of parameters in order to achieve 'perfection' - or to be so afraid of failure that we don't even try to reach for something better."

The pleased feeling left Shikamaru. He began rolling a game piece between his fingers, unconsciously mimicking Asuma's earlier actions as he listened to the man continue speaking.

"Our team was never perfect. You know that as well as I do. But it didn't matter in the end. We still found a way to beat the odds. Together we made it work. And after all this time, knowing how imperfect we all are... would you go back and trade your teammates for anything?"

"No, I wouldn't," answered Shikamaru softly.

Asuma blew a smoke ring and watched it drift up towards the sky. "You can waste years chasing after some far-fetched fantasy, or running because you're afraid to measure up, and never realize that what you really needed all along are the imperfect people right in front of you... and I should know," he mussed, pausing to take another drag. "Life isn't perfect. Love isn't easy. It's simply what you decide to make of it, Shikamaru."

* * *

Shikamaru stood before the grave marker, watching the cigarette burn in tribute to his much admired teacher, and a smile touched his face as this particular old memory slowly faded away. He'd lost track of the time, but just as he was about to check the sun he heard an annoyed voice speaking up from behind him.

"Oy, Dad!"

He turned around to face a young boy with a shock of brown hair that was pulled back in a severe ponytail. Shikamaru was amused to note that the boy was sporting a pronounced scowl.

"What is it, Shikanosuke?"

"Mom's in a real snit, wondering where you are." Crossing his arms, he suddenly threw his father a very put-upon look. "She's been on my case to find you for the whole past hour. Geez, I don't know why that troublesome woman has to pick on _me_, not when Inori is more than ready to fly out here at a moment's notice...!"

"Well, let's get home then," said Shikamaru mildly as he began to shuffle off in the direction of their home. "We shouldn't make her worry needlessly."

"Yeah, _whatever_," muttered Shikanosuke as he angrily stuffed his hands into his pockets. He took a few steps in silence before bursting out: "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"_Why_ did you decide to marry a woman like her?"

Shikamaru smirked, anticipating the aggravated look he was about to receive from his son. But it didn't bother him. The boy was bright, he'd figure it out some day... probably.

"Because... it was a perfect match."


	11. Our Own World

**Naruto Fanfic – "Our Own World"**

_Written August 2007 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: Inspired by rainy day weather and a blue mood (go figure). The setting for this would be in the future, when they are all young adults. And while I really do think 'M' is too high a rating for the story, it's definitely a very strong 'T' - so beware the strong lime scent, okay?_

* * *

Ino stood atop the outer wall with her hands supported against the parapet, peering intently out into the forest that lay beyond the village gates. The setting sun behind her bathed the trees in a fiery hue, turning the foliage into a torch of red and gold. Noticing this, she smiled wistfully. The leaves had been tender and green when the men had departed, so many months ago.

Beside her, Sakura heaved a quiet sigh. Reluctantly turning her back on the forest, she gently brushed a hand against Ino's arm.

"I think I'm going to head in now. Are you coming, Ino?"

"Not yet. I think I'll stay here a while longer."

"Are you sure?" asked Sakura, casting her best friend a concerned look. "It's starting to get a lot chillier now after the sun goes down. You could easily catch a cold in this air."

"It's all right. I've got my shawl." Ino pulled the thick, purple material she had draped loosely around her shoulders in tighter. "And I promise I won't stay out here for very long."

Sakura nodded her acceptance and left. Ino heard her steps trudging off softly, listening until they faded away on their descent down the steps into the village. And then she was once more alone with her thoughts and memories, keeping her lonely vigil over the empty road. Pressing her eyes shut against the wearisome sight, Ino let her mind wander to the past until it latched onto the scene that had, in its aftermath, brought her to this wall day after day, to hope and pray and wait...

* * *

"It isn't fair! Why are you always doing this to me?"

Ino stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing as she glared at the shadowy form of her husband Shikamaru. He in turn was slouching in the doorway of the darkened corridor leading into the dining room, his hands tucked lazily into his pockets, and though Ino couldn't see his face, she could easily picture the infuriatingly unperturbed expression he was probably wearing. Her scowl deepened. And _this_ after all the work she had put into planning tonight!

"Ino," said Shikamaru softly from the doorway. "Listen to me -."

"No, Shikamaru! _You_ listen to _me_," snapped Ino as she stepped around the table, careful to avoid looking at it. She had spent the better part of an hour just decorating this room with candles and flowers and arranging the dishes just right - and now it would all go to waste. "Every time one of these type of missions comes up, it's always the same old story! You all act like it's some boys only club and we 'girls' get left behind! I _hate_ it!"

Ino stamped her foot against the floor, the movement causing the front of her kimono to loosen dangerously as her bosom heaved against the material. Feeling the draft, she automatically clutched at the front to hold it shut - indeed, it was the _only_ thing she was wearing, being as it too had been part of her plan to surprise Shikamaru that night. But now seeing him shift against the wall with such apparent unconcern caused Ino to narrow her eyes in pure vexation. It seemed that the real surprise was on her.

"Ino, listen..." Shikamaru tried again.

"_No_! It doesn't make any sense at all!" Folding her arms against her breasts, Ino moved in closer, trying to make out Shikamaru's face in the dim lighting, but he appeared as unflappable as ever. Blast it, didn't he take this seriously? _She_ felt as if she could throw herself against him and beat her fists on his chest like a little child. And then in spite of her anger, Ino found herself beginning to plead with him. "Don't you believe in me? Don't you have any faith in my abilities after all this time? So maybe I don't have the Byakugan or limitless chakra or monstrous strength, but my _jutsus_ are unique and I'm a medical ninja, too! Haven't I proven myself to you?"

"That's not what this is about at all," said Shikamaru as he finally stepped out of the shadowy corridor and into the room. Ino now saw that his eyes were moving slowly over her, gazing at her so intently that it was as if he were drinking her in. She felt a shivery tremor race through her limbs, but determinedly ignored the warm sensation that had likewise ignited in her belly. She was still upset.

"Then what is it?" demanded Ino as she looked imploringly up at him. "I'm a member of your team, too. I'm your _jutsu_ partner. And I'm your wife! Don't you remember our wedding vows, Shikamaru - that no matter what happens, we'll always be together, that nothing but death will keep us apart?" Ino suddenly broke off in horror as her own words sank in. Her voice unknowingly took on a slightly hysterical pitch. "Is _that_ what this is about? Did that crazy Naruto finally snap and decide to go ahead with his knuckle-headed idea anyway? And are you afraid to tell me that this is going to wind up becoming some kind of _suicide mission_?"

Shikamaru swiftly reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. He gently swept his thumb across her lips and pressed lightly, in a gesture that Ino knew meant he needed her to shut up for a minute. Bending to his request, Ino fell quiet and waited as he regarded her silently for a few moments, his expression half-exasperated, half-amused.

"For the record, Ino - yes, it is that stupidly dangerous, but no, I'm _not_ going off to die," Shikamaru told her firmly. Then his voice grew tender. "I have absolutely no intention of leaving you alone. It's too troublesome to even think about."

"Then _why_?" murmured Ino, blinking as a lone tear managed to slip out against her will. An odd mixture of happiness, dread and loneliness had filled her heart at his words, and she realized that regardless of whether she threatened or cajoled, Shikamaru would not change his mind about leaving her behind. Struggling against the quiet desperation that tugged at her heart, Ino closed her eyes, bringing her hand up to cover his as he began to softly caress her cheek, wanting to lose herself in his touch. But she couldn't help pleading one last time.

"Shikamaru, please... _please_ take me, too. I want to go with you!"

The words had barely left her lips when she felt her mouth engulfed by his. The kiss was deep yet gentle, but somehow not like Shikamaru's usual manner. It was quietly demanding and urgent, and when he broke it Ino was left breathlessly clutching at his arms. He pulled her in closely.

"It's not that I don't want to - I do," Shikamaru whispered roughly into her ear. He paused to drop a row of kisses along her neckline, working his way slowly across to the other ear. "But there's a reason I want you to stay here, Ino."

"A reason?" Ino's eyes fluttered open, and she was startled to find that the urgency she had felt in his lips had transferred onto his face. Holding her gaze steadily, Shikamaru almost appeared to be trying to silently transmit his thoughts directly into her mind, and Ino found that she was holding her breath expectantly.

"I need you to do the most important thing for me. For _us_."

"What do you mean?"

In answer, Shikamaru kissed her deeply again. Then his hands slipped beneath her clothes, causing Ino to gasp at the intimate caress. Dazed with desire, she was barely aware of the kimono sliding gracefully off her shoulders to pool on the floor. The shock of her skin being exposed to the cool night air roused her slightly, but then she was being pulled back into her husband's warm embrace, moaning as his hands leisurely traced the familiar contours of her body. And when his mouth found hers again, she was completely lost.

Time seemed to stop for Ino. The world had contracted to the boundaries of the room, leaving only Shikamaru and herself alone, his desire and her longing, his mouth and her body. She hardly registered her feet leaving the floor as Shikamaru swept her up into his arms and carried her through the door leading towards their bedroom. But she heard clearly the final insistent entreaty that Shikamaru murmured huskily into her ear.

"_Protect what's ours_."

* * *

Ino sighed longingly. It had happened on a cool night in early spring, and the very next morning Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto and the others had departed towards the east, vanishing into the forest and, as it were, off the face of the earth. They hadn't received word from the group since then, and now it was early fall. So many months of coming up to the wall with Sakura and the other women, waiting for any sign of their return, encouraging one another… and sometimes wondering if it were all in vain.

Feeling the wind start to pick up, Ino pulled the shawl in more snugly. Out of habit she glanced downward and ran a hand gently over the sloping curve of her growing belly. She sighed again, but even in her sadness felt a spark of hope rekindled as she thought about Shikamaru's last words to her. Sacred vow or not, perhaps they couldn't always be together in all things, but they were connected nevertheless. For just as he would die to defend their home from any outside threats, she would die to protect this inner sanctum they had created together. And she knew nothing would stop him from trying to come back to her.

At last contented to face another lonely night, Ino closed her eyes and whispered a prayer into the forest before turning to head back inside.

_Hurry home, Shikamaru. We're waiting here for you._


	12. Red

**Naruto Fanfic – "Red"**

_Written August 2007 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: Whoa, I just realized that I haven't written anything light-hearted in a good while. So here's a little mindless fun for your enjoyment! As for the story, think of it as a tribute to the long, hot days of summer..._

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata fidgeted in place, uncomfortably aware of the faint tingling in her cheeks. Gulping nervously, she valiantly staved off the urge to flee into the street and wondered regretfully about her choice in romantic confidants. This hadn't been quite what she had in mind when she came to the Yamanaka flower shop that day.

"... you have to remember that men are _visual_ creatures, Hinata. No man can resist the charms of a sexy woman. So for pity's sakes, loosen up that wardrobe and show a little skin! You can't afford to be shy about it!"

Breaking off from her impromptu lecture, Ino cast an appraising eye over her would-be pupil's attire and frowned. What in the world was Hinata thinking, wearing full-length leggings, long sleeves and a jacket on a hot summer day? It was high time someone introduced her to the world of sleeveless tops and mini-skirts - or simple hair ties at the very least. How could she stand hiding under that veil of long, black hair in such oppressive weather? She would have such a cute figure, if she just tried a little harder...

While Ino was thus distracted, Hinata seized the opportunity and bravely tried again.

"B-but Ino," she stammered, compulsively pressing her fingertips together. "I wasn't thinking about what kind of clothes I should wear. I was only wondering what, er, what _signs_ to look for so that I can tell... can tell..." Hinata paused, feeling her heart flutter as the face of a certain notorious blue-eyed, hyperactive blond came to mind. "...if h-he notices me."

Ino brushed her off with a wave of her hand.

"Honestly, Hinata. It's not about figuring _him_ out - it's about getting what _you_ want! And to do that, you have to be very blunt about how you go about dealing with men." Nodding her head with supreme self-assurance, Ino leaned in and raised a finger emphatically. "Look, the secret to attracting any guy you want is confidence. Be sexy, be flirtatious, be irresistible; in short, _make_ him notice you - and then even the most clueless boy will be putty in your hands!"

"Um, I don't know..."

Mistaking the stupefied look on Hinata's face for skepticism, Ino scowled. Of _course_ she was right about this - she just had to prove it. Casting around for an idea, she chanced to look out the shop's entryway when her eyes landed on the unlikely form of Shikamaru, hard at work under the blazing sun. He was crouching on the stone patio, wearing a particularly grim expression as he patched up some odd thing Inoichi had assigned to him. Ino immediately knew the reason for Shikamaru's annoyance: he hated manual labor, especially in warm weather - but it was probably also indignity at having been "loaned out" against his will for some stupid wager their fathers had made. Seriously, young or old, men acted so incredibly foolish sometimes...

Ino suddenly smiled.

_And isn't it just my luck to have been granted one of the most clueless boys in all of Konoha as a teammate?_

"Hinata, as a special favor, today I'm going to instruct you on the fine art of seducing a boy," announced Ino as she stood up from the stool. "Just sit back and watch."

Hinata's pale cheeks quickly turned crimson in response. "Se-_seducing_?" she squeaked, watching Ino give herself a quick primping. Then with a toss of her long ponytail, she began to walk towards the entrance, her gait transforming into a slinky strut. Hinata trembled, frozen atop her stool as she stared after Ino. Now _this_ definitely hadn't been what she had in mind at all.

_Oh dear,_ she thought nervously as she pressed a hand to her lips._ What should I do...?_

The bell tinkled. Hinata swallowed a gulp, thinking fast as her eyes shot furtively around the empty store. Then, very cautiously, she craned her neck forward, straining for a better look.

From her vantage point, Hinata saw Ino sidling up to Shikamaru, who was tiredly pounding away on a wooden crate. She came to a halt next to him, slightly behind and off to the side, but still just within his peripheral vision. Then with an air of great interest in what he was doing, she leaned in over his shoulder and stood still, twisting a finger playfully through her hair while waiting expectantly for him to notice her.

Several minutes passed.

When at last it became blatantly obvious that Shikamaru was not to be distracted, Ino dropped her hand and began to tap her foot in irritation. After another fruitless minute, Ino's left brow began to twitch and she suddenly raised a clenched fist. Hinata wondered if she was getting ready to punch Shikamaru - but no, it looked like she was only clearing her throat...

_Ah, he finally noticed_, thought Hinata as she saw Shikamaru pause in his work. But instead of looking up at Ino as she expected, he merely rotated the crate onto its side and promptly began hammering again. At this, Ino dropped all pretense of coquettishness. She abruptly bent over and shouted something in his ear.

The pounding stopped. Shikamaru was rubbing the right side of his head in a gesture of long-suffering annoyance. To Hinata's amazement, however, he still didn't turn to face Ino, but he did appear to be saying something to her...

Ino's irritated expression turned into one of bewilderment. Then with an angry pout, she turned around and walked over to the tool box, seizing a jar of nails from within. Returning to Shikamaru, she silently handed them over. He took them without a glance and immediately began to work again, not noticing Ino stomping away.

Hinata shifted nervously as Ino re-entered the shop. She looked extremely put out - to an alarming degree, actually. Hinata could almost see the fiery bands of anger starting to form around her.

"Clueless _moron_," she muttered darkly.

"Um, I think he was just too busy working to really notice you," Hinata said kindly, hoping to quell the impending storm.

A look of comprehension dawned on Ino's face, and she instantly brightened. "You know, you're _right_ - that jerk never did once look up at me! The lazy idiot..."

But even as she heaped more abuse on him, Ino appeared quite cheerful. Then to Hinata's bafflement, she reached up and undid the tie holding up her ponytail. A cascade of silvery-blonde hair swept about her face, and Ino gave it a graceful shake as she began to head back towards the door.

"Er, Ino, m-maybe you shouldn't bother him right now..." said Hinata helplessly as she sashayed outside.

At first Hinata thought Ino's second approach was going to wind up a copy of the first, but this time she didn't try to subtly catch Shikamaru's attention. She glided directly into his line of sight, and when it appeared he again wouldn't acknowledge her, she brazenly extended one long leg and knocked the crate out of his hand. Then she flashed a tiny, triumphant grin as Shikamaru's head immediately jerked up to stare at her.

Watching Shikamaru's reaction, Hinata frowned in puzzlement. Although Ino was now saying something, she had the distinct impression that Shikamaru wasn't even listening. Instead he appeared to be examining her hair, and his entire countenance rapidly switched from flat annoyance into deep confusion. His brows creased, and Hinata couldn't help wondering if he wasn't performing his own brand of the Byakugan - his gaze was so _piercing_...

Then Shikamaru abruptly crossed his arms and began speaking in return. Hinata guessed that he had probably said something sarcastic, given Ino's miffed reaction and the way she self-consciously brushed back her hair. But then as he looked away to reach for the crate, Ino, smiling vengefully, quickly stretched out and snapped off his hair tie. Shikamaru jerked upright again as the mass of black hair fell messily down to his shoulders.

Hinata blinked. She realized she had never seen Shikamaru sans his ponytail and was curious to know what his face looked like, but unfortunately from her angle the hair was obscuring his features. Ino, however, had a direct view, and it appeared that she had never seen this before either. Her blue eyes suddenly went wide and her mouth parted in a startled "oh!" as she gaped back at him.

Unmindful of this, Shikamaru reached out and angrily tugged the tie away from Ino. He swept his hair back into its usual style, his mouth all the while moving in a ceaseless string of complaints - but Hinata was certain that Ino didn't hear a single word of it. Her face had gone slack and she seemed oddly flushed. And it was only when Shikamaru turned away to resume his work that Ino came to with a little snap of her head, and slowly began to weave her way back into the shop.

Hinata stood up as the bell tinkled. She felt a sense of unease settling over her - the utterly dazed, unfocused look in Ino's eyes made her seem like a complete stranger. Searching frantically for a means to offer relief, she spied the two iced glasses that Mrs. Yamanaka had thoughtfully provided at the start of her visit. "W-would you like some tea?" she asked carefully. "It's, um, really calming... especially in hot weather."

"Hot," mumbled Ino distractedly as she drifted past Hinata and through the doorway leading into the Yamanaka household. "Yes… I'm feeling very _hot_ right now..."

Disconcerted, Hinata wondered if she should attempt to follow after Ino or perhaps just quietly leave. After several indecisive minutes spent wringing her hands as Ino failed to reappear, she at last settled on politely finishing her glass of tea before leaving, and hoped that Mrs. Yamanaka would reappear so that she could at least bid her a proper thanks and farewell. This plan in mind, it was as she was lifting the glass to her lips that Hinata heard footsteps approaching from behind. Thinking it was Mrs. Yamanaka, she gratefully swung around.

She almost choked on the tea. Ino was standing there, clad in shockingly tight shorts and a bikini top so skimpy it was barely more than a glorified string. The glassy-eyed look was gone from her eyes, replaced instead by a blazing blue fire, and Ino swept into the shop with a determined air.

"_I-ino_," sputtered Hinata as she nearly lost her grip on the glass. She could tell that her face had turned a bright red. "Your… y-your _clothes_!"

"What about them?" asked Ino absently as she began to fuss with the bikini top's straps. She sounded unusually flustered.

Hinata gulped. Unable to bring herself to bluntly say _'you're practically naked!_', she hedged for something more discreet.

"You could get a sunburn in this kind of weather," she said carefully. "And Shikamaru… Shikamaru…" Hinata racked her mind for the right words but fumbled badly. "Doesn't he, um, look really _warm_ already, with all that p-pounding and everything…?"

Ino stared uncomprehendingly at Hinata. Then her eyes fell on the glass Hinata still had clutched in her hand. "Right, _tea_," she muttered knowingly to herself. "That's perfect; he'll like that…"

Picking up the second glass, Ino squared her shoulders and marched off. Feeling wrong-footed, Hinata was left fretting in silent agitation until she saw Ino halting briefly in the doorway. She watched, baffled, as Ino gave herself a faint shake as if she was making some peculiar internal adjustment, and then she was gracefully traipsing out onto the patio.

An unexpected flash of perception struck Hinata. _I can't believe it - she's actually nervous!_ Strangely, this knowledge made her feel much better. If even someone as confident as Ino could get that flustered over a guy and _still_ have the courage to approach him, then maybe…

Moving to get a better view, Hinata was just in time to see Ino approaching Shikamaru from behind, that air of cool self-assurance firmly in place. She was the picture of alluring poise and sexy seductiveness as she closed in on her oblivious victim - right up until the moment she tripped, sending the glass pouring its contents directly down his startled back. Hinata gasped as Ino froze on the spot, her body rigid with shock and mortification.

Shikamaru dropped the hammer and slowly got to his feet. Without ceremony, he tiredly pulled off the mesh shirt, exposing his bare back to Hinata's startled gaze. Bunching the material, he ran it over his arms and torso like a towel before tossing it aside. At last he looked around wearily at Ino, about to say something, but the sight of his nubile teammate stopped him cold. Gawking at her, his mouth fell open. For a second, Hinata thought she saw him forming the word _Ino?_ - but then Shikamaru's face disappeared in a blonde blur as Ino suddenly launched herself at him, knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

Though the blood rushing through her face was making her a touch light-headed, Hinata couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her. Ino had wrapped her lithe body around Shikamaru's and was intent on performing a highly erotic version of CPR on his apparently inert form. Hinata thought that perhaps he was simply too stunned to do anything - but then she spotted his hands snaking up her waist, and in a flash he had rolled Ino onto her back and was proceeding to give her a thorough probing of his own...

The crack of a door slamming violently behind her caused Hinata to nearly jump out of her skin. She whirled around to see that Mr. Yamanaka, drawn by whatever parental sixth sense tied him to his daughter, had now entered the shop. There was a faintly maniacal glint in his eyes as he stalked past Hinata, only pausing to pick up a bucket of water on his path towards the entryway. Then just as unexpectedly Mrs. Yamanaka appeared, no doubt summoned by her own mysterious ability to detect spousal trouble, and hurried past wearing a harassed expression.

The bells clanged. Hinata heard Mrs. Yamanaka cry out, "_No_, Inoichi!" and then came the sound of water splashing loudly over pavement. It was immediately followed by a set of surprised shrieks and yells, and then there was an eruption of shouting that was too confused to clearly discern from within the walls of the shop. Hinata had no interest in eavesdropping any further into these private family matters, however. Slipping out of the jacket, she smoothed down the pretty top she was wearing underneath. Then as she gingerly ran a hand through her hair, she headed towards the shop's back exit wearing a sunny, hopeful smile.

_I wonder if Naruto-kun would like some tea today..._


	13. In A Good Mood

**Naruto Fanfic – "In A Good Mood"**

_Written November 2007 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: Pure fluff as light as air, written primarily to jump start the creative juices (seeing as how bogged down they've been recently). I consider this short one as a belated "birthday gift" to ShikaIno._

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* * *

Something's up. I wonder what it could be?_

Choji glanced curiously across the table, trying to place his finger on what was bothering him about his best friend's demeanor. To a casual onlooker, there was nothing unusual about the habitually bored-looking face. But not so for Choji. He had always been extraordinarily perceptive towards Shikamaru's moods and well-versed in their subtle vagaries. There were a hundred different ways to smirk, and his friend had mastered them all. But this was different.

Shikamaru was actually smiling.

Choji's brows furrowed. He knew that Shikamaru was hardly the gloomy drag others sometimes accused him of being, but he was rarely in such a lighthearted mood. Especially given the fact that they were presently sitting in their usual booth at Yakiniki-Q due to his and Ino's joint birthdays, which Shikamaru would have preferred not to have celebrated at all. So then why was he so... _happy_?

Puzzling this mystery out was almost enough to distract Choji from his impatiently rumbling stomach. Almost. But he'd never been one for restraint when it came to meals, celebratory or otherwise, and he was starting to wonder if he'd be able to hold off long enough for the toast. Fortunately just then, Ino arrived, sufficiently distracting him.

Now Choji's brows arched in surprise. As Ino slid into her customary seat besides him, he noticed that she was wearing her usual skin-baring outfit, with one notable difference: a long, fluffy white scarf was encircled about her neck. Choji recognized it immediately.

"Oh! I see you're wearing my present."

To Choji's confusion, Ino reacted to his observation by turning a rosy hue. Then she gave him an awkward smile.

"Thank you, Choji," she murmured softly. "It... it's a really handy gift."

A soft snicker floated across the table, and Choji spotted Shikamaru rubbing his nose casually. Ino's strange shyness instantly vanished as the color of her cheeks rose a notch. Choji watched bewilderedly as she glared angrily at the other boy.

"Hmph. At least some people here know how to give _proper_ birthday gifts."

Shikamaru merely shrugged, his mood totally unfazed by her sarcasm, and Ino began to scowl ominously. Keen on heading off an argument that might further delay their meal, Choji tried to soothe her temper.

"Well, I'm really glad you liked it. It looks good on you," he said sincerely, and then a curious thought occurred to him. "But it's only September, and the weather hasn't really gotten all that cold yet. Aren't you too warm wearing it now?"

Mystifyingly, Ino became flustered. She ran a hand self-consciously along the thick fabric, pressing it securely against her neck.

"Don't be silly! Scarves are all-season accessories - everyone knows that."

"Er... but aren't those types of scarves usually made of thinner material?"

Ino's eyes flashed. "A fashionable girl like myself ought to know when she can or can't wear something!" she snapped.

"Um... okay."

Choji fell silent, considering her odd behavior. Normally Ino was like an open book; reading her was hardly a challenge, as more often than not she would tell everyone directly what was on her mind. But her edginess today was baffling, and it was as Choji gazed thoughtfully at the gift scarf that he suddenly noticed something.

"Hey, Ino! Is that a _rash_ on your neck?" he asked, pointing at a deep purplish mark that peeked out from beneath the cloth's upper edge.

"What? No, it's _not_!" cried Ino as she tugged up the scarf protectively, where its whiteness served to contrast sharply with her flushed cheeks. "Um, I mean... I don't _think_ it is," she added with a nervous gulp after a long moment.

"But are you sure?" persisted Choji, thinking of an uncomfortable skin infection he'd once endured as a child. "Don't you think you should get that looked at by a doctor? Or your parents at least?"

To his astonishment, Ino instantly turned pale. She shot him a mortified look as both hands clutched the scarf defensively. "No, Choji. I really _don't_ think they'd care to see this."

"Then perhaps it would be best if _I_ looked at it," offered Shikamaru suddenly. He was gazing steadily at Ino, and Choji had the distinct impression he was trying not to smirk. "Right here and now, Ino... just to be sure, of course."

At this Ino froze, staring back at Shikamaru wordlessly while turning a deep shade of red, until at last she abruptly dropped her eyes. Then with a stiff toss of her hair, she quickly stood up from the table.

"If you'll _excuse_ me," said Ino frostily as she turned her back towards them and flounced off.

Choji waited until she had exited before turning worriedly to his friend.

"Hey, Shikamaru. You _did_ get her something for her birthday, didn't you?"

He now noticed that Shikamaru's smile had morphed into a full-blown grin.

"Yeah, Choji. But I didn't wrap it."


	14. If Only I Could Make You Mine

**Naruto Fanfic – "If Only I Could Make You Mine"**

_Written December 2007 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: This is not the type of story I enjoy writing, being that I generally prefer happier things, but it fits the theme. Pure melodrama with a slightly higher rating. And on a side note, a little "you go, girl!" shout goes out to ArAshiMitArAshi, who has covered this territory pretty well already. And if you have a minute, please check out the poll in my profile!_

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* * *

This wasn't how it was supposed to go._

Shikamaru felt powerless, bewildered by the paralysis that had overcome his body. He was aware of Ino's arms wrapped around his neck and her lips pressed desperately against his, as if she was trying to pour all her feelings into one kiss. A voice in his mind was screaming that he needed to be kissing her back _now_, and he began to comply - but then their lips broke contact as she was forcibly yanked from his arms.

At this, sensation poured back into Shikamaru's limbs. He came to life again with a cry, lunging forward to pull Ino's struggling form back against his.

Choji had to restrain him.

"Get back inside the house, Ino," snapped Inoichi. He had an iron grip around his daughter's upper arm, heedless of the way it caused her face to screw up in pain. But the tears in Ino's eyes were caused by something else.

"No, Daddy! I won't go - I want to stay with Shikamaru!"

"_Get back inside!_" roared Inoichi, the fury in his eyes lending terror to his countenance. "Do it _now_, Ino, or so help me, I'll...!"

He raised a hand as if to strike her, and Ino quailed, frightened at seeing her father like this. Mrs. Yamanaka sprang forward then, gathering her sobbing daughter into her arms and pulling her aside. But as she led Ino away, she shot Shikamaru a look mixed with pain and accusation that caused him to flinch. He could do nothing but watch helplessly as the pair disappeared into the house, and then confusion gave way to anger.

"Why?" demanded Shikamaru suddenly, wheeling on Inoichi. "_Why?_"

Inoichi's expression remained cold. "I thought you were a genius," he said shortly. "So tell me what part of _no_ don't you understand?"

"That's not an answer." Shikamaru struggled to keep his voice steady and failed. "Give me a _reason_, damn it!"

"A _reason_?" Inoichi laughed humorlessly. "What makes you think you're entitled to one, Shikamaru? But then I suppose you believe you're entitled to whatever you want, given your status among the village elders. You've certainly behaved as if you were _entitled_ to my daughter."

Shikamaru's back stiffened and he pressed his mouth into a thin, defiant line. Inoichi's wrath grew as he examined the teenager's face. Eyes narrowed, he leaned in closer.

"I once had such high hopes for you. You were almost like a son. But now I don't care if you're a genius, or if the elders would prefer to look the other way for the sake of their valued tool. You've wounded me greatly, Shikamaru," muttered Inoichi in a brittle voice. He then glanced sideways pointedly. "As did _you_."

Shikaku's grim face wavered slightly at the accusation. But he said nothing, instead choosing to gaze steadily back at Inoichi, until the other man's temper snapped.

"Since when does a man of _honor_ allow his son to use a friend's daughter as his personal plaything?" demanded Inoichi vehemently. "And don't tell me you didn't know about it, Shikaku!"

Sighing, Shikaku glanced briefly at his son before addressing his old teammate. "I did have my suspicions, Inoichi. But Shikamaru's old enough to know his own mind," he answered quietly. "As is Ino."

"And what convenient reasoning that must be for you, magnanimously granting him such personal liberty when it's _my_ daughter who will have to pay for it!"

"My son is _very_ aware of his share in the matter," asserted Shikaku, his tone hardening.

"He'd better be," responded Inoichi darkly. "He's the one who got her pregnant."

A cold knot twisted in Shikamaru's stomach at the pitiless reminder. He had never meant for this to happen. He had a plan that should have worked; he'd thought everything out thoroughly ever since the first time Ino had welcomed him into her bed. He knew what he wanted. Ino wanted it as well. It would take time for things to come together, and they were still underage, but in another year it wouldn't matter - a new future would be within their grasp. And they'd been so careful, too.

Why did this have to happen now?

Shikamaru took another deep breath, again forcing his voice to remain steady. "Mr. Yamanka, I know that you're angry with me. And I know you want what's best for Ino. But _I_ want her to be happy, too," he pleaded. "I want to do the right thing... so why won't you let me marry her?"

But Inoichi brusquely shook his head. "No. I could never leave my daughter's fate in the hands of a mere boy."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, feeling as if he'd just been punched in the gut. "I'm not a _boy_," he said tightly. "And regardless of what you think I love her as much as you do."

Inoichi laughed then. "Do you honestly think that's all it takes, Shikamaru? A declaration of love will make it all work out right? Frankly, your actions up until now tell me that you both have no idea what you'd be getting into. And I would be remiss if I sat back and did nothing to stop you from further messing up Ino's life!"

Frustration rose up in Shikamaru, shattering his attempt to remain calm. "You don't have the right to keep her from me!" he burst out. He barely registered Choji's grip growing tighter.

"Oh yes, I do. And I will," said Inoichi mercilessly. He suddenly looked over at Shikaku, eyes boring fiercely into the other man's while continuing to address his son. "And not just for Ino alone. Even though you may be the father, the child my daughter bears will be entered in to the Yamanaka family registry."

Shock rendered Shikamaru temporarily speechless, and then a primal kind of anger gripped him. His fists balled of their own accord. "_You can't do that_!"

"The child carries the blood of the Nara clan," protested Shikaku angrily, who likewise was clenching his fists. "It belongs with our family!"

"The same can be said of the Yamanaka clan," retorted Inoichi, his jaw muscles tensing. "And it's too late to start interfering now, Shikaku."

"Just drop the _crap_, Inoichi." Shikaku's tone had hardened into a steely edge. He took a step forward, his hands out at his sides. "Why don't you go ahead and take the swing you've been dying to throw at me since this whole conversation started?"

Inoichi's hands twitched. "Don't tempt me," he warned.

"Then what about _me_?" Shikamaru was aware on some level that he was no longer thinking rationally. A hazy red cloud had fallen over him, goading him on with a naked urge to attack. "If this is about your honor, if it takes a duel to satisfy you, then come on - _let's go!_"

It was the invitation Inoichi seemed to have been waiting for. With blinding speed, his fingers flew through a _jutsu_. Shikamaru was already readying his own counter-strike, his mind racing over attack scenarios when unexpectedly he felt himself being restrained. As he thrashed wildly, Shikamaru witnessed Shikaku apparently abandoning his _jutsu_ techniques in order to leap forward and deliver a punch to Inoichi's face, who had anticipated that and landed in a blow of his own - but then Choza was suddenly standing in their way. In an instant he had each large hand wrapped firmly around his teammates' necks, dragging the grown men apart as easily as if they were children.

"_Enough_," commanded Choza sternly, his deep voice booming through the street. He watched as his teammates slowly regained their composure, each glaring hatefully at the other, and wondered how this breach could ever be mended. Sighing, Choza then glanced over at his son and realized that Shikamaru was still struggling.

"Let me go, Choji! I have to do this!" he yelled at his best friend. But Choji shook his head emphatically.

"_No_, Shikamaru. You have to let it go for now," he pleaded urgently. "If you do anything, you'll only make Ino cry even more!"

Choji swung him in the direction of the Yamanaka house, forcing Shikamaru to look up towards the second floor. There he saw Ino's tear-streaked face peering out from a window, startling him out of the blind rage. As he watched, she gently pressed her lips against the glass and drew back. Ino began mouthing something at him, but then her mother came to push her away and pull the shades down behind them. But Shikamaru had gotten the message.

_I love you._

Feeling a return to his senses, Shikamaru sagged against Choji's arms, grateful for their steadfast support. Then he looked up at the sky, which was distressingly bright for such a dark day, and made a silent vow.

_You'll see, Mr. Yamanaka. Whatever it takes, no matter what you do... I'll still make Ino mine one day._


	15. Perfect Blue

**Naruto Fanfic – "Perfect Blue"**

_Written March 2008 by Astra M._

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Author's Note: I prefer writing prose to poetry myself, probably because __**all**__ of my own (school enforced) exercises have resulted in scathing essay-length reviews, open mockery, and in one instance a mass case of stunned horror (that one wasn't meant to be read aloud though). Given my past history, I had understandably mixed feelings about this story, and yet it made sense for Shikamaru. So because I'm a masochist, here's a fic in honor of my old nemesis, April's National Poetry Month. Yikes._

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Shikamaru sighed again for the umpteenth time that morning as he lay on the roof of his house and stared listlessly up at the sky. Sadly, this day's cloud-watching session was failing to bring him any peace of mind. But then how could he feel restful when the sting from yesterday's fight with Ino was still so freshly weighing on him?

_Some people think I'm gorgeous!_

_And some people will say whatever they think you want to hear!_

It had come out all wrong. At the time Shikamaru had been extremely annoyed, given that Ino seemed to be deliberately baiting him with that irritating nickname Sai had given her. Of course, he'd silently cursed himself as soon as the words had left his mouth. But however he tried to backpedal afterwards, Ino would have none of it, and he just couldn't find the right words to apologize before she stormed off in a towering rage.

Blast it all, why was Ino _always_ so hung up on things like artistry and beauty anyway?

It had been a trivial argument, too. At least he'd thought it was. Ino had wanted to drag him to an art exhibition, which Shikamaru, who had no use for art in general, already knew he'd find tediously boring. But his lack of enthusiasm was made twice as bad once Ino announced that Sai was going to be present. That was when things took a turn for the worse. Shikamaru bluntly pointed out that he failed to see what was so "artistic" about Sai's work, given that he seemed to have the same eye for beauty as did the average crayon-wielding toddler - and that had touched off a fiery reaction in Ino. She started defending Sai's "artistic sensibilities," and that had set Shikamaru's teeth on edge, especially once she began implying that Sai's appreciation for art gave him a sensitivity of soul that was noticeably lacking in his own...

In Shikamaru's opinion, Sai was, quite frankly, a _total ass_, regardless of whatever artistic talent he allegedly possessed. And yet he had to acknowledge that Sai possessed a side to him that Shikamaru couldn't comprehend, much less compete with, which enabled the jerk to speak directly to something in Ino's heart. Worse, the knowledge that he was completely lacking this dimension was causing him to have doubts about his relationship with Ino. Their passions were so different - and artistic souls should go together, right?

Heaving another gloomy sigh, Shikamaru turned his gaze away from the sky to stare out across the rooftops of Konoha, in the general direction of the Yamanaka flower shop. It was times like this he wished very badly that Asuma were still around. Who else could he turn to for useful advice about women...?

"Shikamaru, your mother's been looking for you. Didn't you hear her calling?"

Shikaku was leaning out the window of Shikamaru's bedroom, regarding his son keenly. Shikamaru automatically tensed as he felt his father's eyes studying him. He knew what was coming next...

"What's the trouble, boy? Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?"

Shikamaru groaned. After all those years of disparaging his father's relationship with his mother, it was aggravating to now find himself in the same position. "Yeah," he admitted reluctantly.

Shikaku chuckled. Then with surprisingly well-practiced ease he suddenly leapt out of the window to join his son on the roof ledge. Shikamaru raised his brows in shock. He'd never seen his father stretch out on the roof before - Yoshino would have thrown a _fit_.

"Care to tell your old man about it?" asked Shikaku as he lay back comfortably against the warm tiles and gazed lazily up at the sky.

Resigned though a tad disgruntled, Shikamaru filled his father in on the previous day's troubles. When he had finished, Shikaku turned to look at his son.

"Have you thought about going over there this morning and apologizing again?"

"Yeah, but I don't think she'd listen," muttered Shikamaru darkly. "Kinda hard to apologize when you know she's not going to be in the mood to listen to anything right now."

"_Ah_," said Shikaku sympathetically. He ran his fingers over his goatee thoughtfully. "In that case, you should try something different. Something she'd appreciate... like writing her a poem."

For a moment, a wall of silence hung between the two males as the gentle breeze blew across the roof tops. Then Shikamaru twisted angrily to confront his father.

"What? Poetry? _Me?_" he yelled incredulously. "Pop, are you out of your mind?"

"Use your brain, son," responded Shikaku in an infuriatingly unperturbed manner. "You said yourself that there's something in Ino that responds to art and beauty. So instead of dismissing it, why don't you spend some time thinking about why it's so important to her?"

A grimace crossed Shikamaru's face. "It doesn't matter if it's important to Ino - _I'm_ no good at anything like that! You and Mom both already know that I don't have any talent for music, or drawing, or writing, or any kind of artistic thing. I'd be crap at poetry," he added with a petulant scowl. "Besides that, it's _lame_."

Now it was Shikaku's turn to sigh. "Listen, Shikamaru. It's not that I don't understand where you're coming from, or that I didn't once feel exactly the same way about it. But whether you believe it or not, poetry isn't half so much about possessing some kind of natural literary talent than is it a means of communicating your thoughts." He gave a dry chuckle. "In that regards, it's practically custom-made for a man."

"And just what the heck are you talking about?" wondered Shikamaru in a voice filled with skepticism.

"Poetry isn't really about using big words or flowery language. It's about taking your ideas about yourself and the world and then breaking it all down until you're finally left with something spare, yet still profound. It's simple. It's direct. It's honest. And best of all it lets us express our feelings in a very basic manner... in a way that still speaks directly to her heart."

Shikamaru said nothing, feeling more doubtful than assured of the wisdom in his father's words. Seeing the expression on his face, Shikaku sat up and rose to his feet.

"Look, I'll leave you alone to think about it. Ask yourself what beauty is, and then what Ino is to you. And one last piece of advice, Shikamaru: you're not as disconnected from your heart as you think you are. At least, not when it comes to _her_... right?"

He disappeared silently through the window, and as Shikamaru watched him go, his mind began mulling over Shikaku's comments. He shook his head. Genius he may be, but did his father really think that he was capable of telling Ino how he felt using something as sappy as a poem?

Hoping for insight, Shikamaru turned his gaze skywards again. But as pleasing as the familiar scene was, nothing came to mind. Was it his fault that he liked concrete things? Thinking like this was just too hard, too foreign... aw man, what a _pain_.

High above a cloud drifted slowly across the sky, and Shikamaru suddenly noticed that it was a pale color today: a light, clear blue that reminded him of Ino's eyes...

* * *

That afternoon, Shikamaru took a deep breath as he stood outside the Yamanaka flower shop. When he felt reasonably confident, he slunk through the entrance and approached the counter, where he spotted Ino slouching listlessly on her stool. He cleared his throat.

Astonishment filled Ino's face upon seeing him and she jerked upright. But then as if recalling herself, she quickly crossed her arms and scowled.

"Hello, Shikamaru," she said stiffly. "What do you want?"

For a moment, he hesitated as misgivings about this course of action resurfaced. Then Shikamaru determinedly steeled himself as he stretched out his hand.

"This is for you," he said simply.

Shikamaru handed Ino a single flower and a folded note, and experienced a momentary surge of panic at the astonished expression that crossed her face (what the heck had he been thinking, giving her some wild, plucked thing in the middle of a _flower shop_?) But then her eyes softened, and although she wasn't smiling, he still felt moderately encouraged as she quietly opened the note and began to read:

_Ino -_

_I don't know anything about art. _

_But_

_I do know beauty when I see it._

Ino paused in her reading to frown. _Oh, yeah? And when is __**that**__?_ she thought sarcastically. But then she continued:

_It's whenever I look up and see _

_A perfectly blue sky _

_and want to lose myself in it..._

_The same way I do_

_every time I look at you._

_- Shikamaru (P.S. I'm sorry)_

Ino's eyes went wide, and she let out a small gasp as her cheeks flushed rosily. Clutching the poem in one hand, she rushed out from behind the counter and threw her arms about his neck. And before Shikamaru knew what was happening, she engulfed him in a passionate kiss.

"_Forgiven_," whispered Ino as she broke away. "And thank you, Shikamaru," she added as she leaned in to kiss him again.

Happily returning her advances, he made a silent admission to the old man: maybe there _was_ something to this poetry thing after all.


	16. Dash

**Naruto Fanfic – "Dash"**

_Written October 2008 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: This one wound up running longer than anticipated; it could be a standalone one-shot. But as it's another 30 Kisses theme, here it stays. The time/setting is somewhat AU, as you'll see._

* * *

"Sensei, why do we have to do this again?" asked Choji from where he sat beneath a shade tree, pausing just long enough to stuff a handful of chips into his mouth. "I thought this festival was only supposed to be for _genin_-level ninja and students."

"The Sports Festival is an excellent way to show off everyone's athletic prowess and combat abilities," answered Asuma diplomatically while lighting up a fresh cigarette. "They just wanted to expand the field this year to allow the veterans back in."

"Whatever. More likely Tsunade just caved in to some village elder's asinine wish to relive his glory days," muttered Shikamaru snidely. He stretched back out on the grass and stared longingly up at the sky. "It's just a pointless waste of time."

_Yeah, that's probably what happened_, admitted Asuma silently. Sure, the Fifth Hokage's official stance was that the competition provided a useful, low-key venue to test the skills of a wider range of Konoha's residents and foster community spirit. But for Asuma what the Festival really offered was a lot more valuable: a shot at bragging rights among his fellow _jounin_ for another year. Indeed, remembering the look on Kurenai's face after the pie-eating contest caused him to break into an indecently pleased grin. "So how are we doing in the standings now?" he asked Shikamaru.

There was a snort of disgust. "Due to a certain bossy person's relentless competitiveness, we're ahead of Team 9 and tied with Team 7."

"Not bad, _Team Ino_."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the old moniker but didn't argue. Even though he had become head of the team since making _chuunin_, there were still times he let his blonde teammate take charge. Especially when it involved tiresome affairs like this one. It was right up her alley...

Asuma was gazing speculatively around the grounds. "Speaking of which, where is your fearless leader?"

"Trash talking with Sakura, most likely," griped Shikamaru. "They've been going at it nonstop since they first laid eyes on each other this morning. It's like they've reverted back into a pair of silly _genin_. Stupid girls," he muttered, with a pout strongly reminiscent of his younger self.

"Nothing wrong with a little friendly rivalry," said Asuma, secretly wishing that some of Ino's aggressiveness would rub off on his favorite pupil. "In any case, you need to go find her. Your team's final event is coming up soon."

With a groan, Shikamaru pulled himself upright. Recalling the place where he'd last seen Ino taunting Sakura, he reluctantly headed off towards the judging pavilion and grimaced, envisioning the scenario between them.

"_Friendly" rivalry, my butt!_

* * *

"That last event was utterly pathetic. Face it, Sakura - your team's going down."

"Pathetic? Your team's only just managed to tie with us, Ino. Don't let it go to that swelled head of yours!"

"Swelled head? Don't you mean more like swelled _forehead_?"

Next to the score board, the two _kunoichi_ rivals were once again facing off. As Shikamaru had observed earlier, they'd been sniping at each other with increasing vigor as the day progressed. But now with their teams evenly scored and one event remaining, the tension between them was reaching its peak.

"Ha-ha," said Sakura dryly, her green eyes glowing with competitive fire. "But seriously, _Ino-Pig_, you've already reached your limit. We both know that you won't be able to beat me in the final race."

"Oh, yeah?" Ino's blue eyes glittered in return. Feeling over-confident and aggressive, she made an impulsive suggestion: "In that case, why don't we make this more interesting?"

Sakura immediately picked up on her implication. "You mean like a private challenge to prove which one of us is the stronger _kunoichi_?"

"We already know who's the strongest," said Ino smugly. "I was thinking of competing for a prize worthy of the one who ultimately wins it all."

Invisible sparks crackled between them as their eyes bored into one another's, telepathically communicating the singular objective of their combative hearts. Then they simultaneously pointed at one another and opened their mouths:

"THE WINNER OF THIS BATTLE GETS TO KISS SASUKE!"

The declaration hung portentously in the air. Then reality set in and they both looked away sheepishly.

"He'd never have agreed to it anyway," muttered Ino.

"Yeah... I know," sighed Sakura.

But their dejected mood lasted only a few moments before a mischievous gleam reentered Ino's eyes. She glanced over slyly at her rival.

"Well, Billboard Brow, what about tweaking the challenge then? Instead of the winner kissing a winner... how about the loser kissing a loser?"

Sakura looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"

Ino's smirk widened. "It means that if you lose... you have to kiss Naruto!"

"Kiss... _Naruto?_"

Sakura stared dazedly back at Ino, her mouth working soundlessly. Her face began to turn a bright shade of pink.

Ino likewise goggled at her rival's reaction, at a loss for words herself. She'd expected anger, not this flustered weirdness. An odd thought suddenly struck her. "Hey, Sakura... do you _like_ Naruto?" she asked uncertainly.

Sakura immediately came to life. "What? NO! I don't like Naruto like _that!_" she yelled.

Ino's suspicion mounted. "Then why are you acting so nervous about kissing him?"

"_I am not!_" insisted Sakura, her face changing from pink to red. "And just why should I be nervous about kissing _him_?"

"Er... does that mean you _want_ to kiss Naruto?"

"ENOUGH!" yelled Sakura, her eyes flashing. "If that's the way you want the challenge to be, then _fine!_ But if you lose, Ino... you have to kiss Shikamaru!"

Now it was Ino's turn to stare slack-jawed at Sakura, her mind having just inexplicably gone blank. Then a sense of indignation swelled up inside. "Hey, wait a minute! Shikamaru's _not_ a -! Uh, I mean..."

Ino trailed off, at a loss for her sudden burst of temper and then subsequent hesitation. Worse, she too could feel that her face had become flushed, as much to her rival's amazement as her own.

Sakura seized the opening, determined to cover for her lapse. "What is it, Ino? Has your teammate finally graduated to the list of boys you're dying to make out with?"

"What?" cried Ino, rocked to the core by Sakura's insinuation. She wasn't prepared for this particular line of attack, and her defensive instincts automatically kicked in. "Don't be stupid! He's not even _close_ to being on my list!"

"Then you should have no objections to kissing him, right?"

Ino was again rendered mute, and Sakura was relieved to see that she'd managed to successfully distract Ino from further questions about Naruto. Still, Sakura's own curiosity was now piqued, and her killer instincts were too finely honed by years of rivalry to let it go at that. Memory of a surprising comment Ino had once blithely let slip resurfaced, and she smirked.

"_Hmm_... or maybe it's just that he's been moved onto a list of his very own," taunted Sakura knowingly. "I hear he really looks _good_ once he puts on that _chuunin_ vest!"

Ino could feel that her face had gone red. She flashed back to that day after the Chuunin Exams when everything had changed, and the same flurry of strange feelings stirred up within her again. It didn't matter that she didn't understand them any better after all this time - all Ino knew was that she was feeling very uncomfortable, and that she had to put a stop to this right now.

"Shikamaru is nothing but a _loser_, and I would sooner break my leg than kiss him!" cried Ino vehemently. "And at least I'm not the one harboring a secret desire to suck face with Naruto!"

Sakura's face became prune-like in her anger. "In your dreams, Ino-Pig," she snapped. "Or do they only feature _Shikamaru_ these days?"

"ENOUGH!" yelled Ino, echoing her rival's earlier outcry. Then she impulsively thrust out her hand towards Sakura before she could say anything further. "If that's how you want it - fine! Do we have a deal?"

Sakura seemed to hesitate, and then she quickly clasped Ino's extended hand. "It's a challenge," she replied as the two angrily shook. "The loser of this battle has to kiss another loser!"

At that moment the pre-race warning horn sounded, alerting everyone to assemble for the final event. Sakura and Ino immediately broke their handshake, each turning away to stalk off towards her respective team.

Then the shadowy form of Shikamaru stepped out from behind the scoreboard. His face was dark and stormy as he watched the familiar blonde ponytail swishing determinedly away from him.

_Oh... so that's how it is._

_

* * *

I so feel tense right now._

Ino stood at the starting line, glancing down the line of competitors until her gaze fell on the two entrants from Team Seven. As expected, Sakura was glaring back, and yet she looked strangely stiff as Naruto suddenly adjusted his grip on her. Ino quickly turned away, resisting the urge to laugh at her rival's discomfort: it would have been funny... if only it didn't so perfectly mirror her own.

"Idiots," muttered Shikamaru besides her.

Ino jumped slightly. She looked at him askance, surprised that he'd been following her gaze. Not to mention that it was the first word Shikamaru had spoken to her since she'd found him skulking on the sidelines, appearing just when she'd been on the verge of freaking out. He hadn't responded with his usual sarcasm when she'd yelled at him for bringing them within a hair of disqualification and dragged him to the starting line; nor had he lifted a finger to help her with their leg bindings, forcing her to do all the work herself. While this behavior was not entirely inconsistent, Ino sensed that something was off: Shikamaru's manner towards her was entirely too cold for normal.

Still, Ino was too keyed up to worry much about that. She was finding it hard enough just keeping her cool when he was standing so close to her. Soon they would be pressed side to side, with their arms slung around each other, and Shikamaru breathing heavily in her ear...

Ino gulped. Fortunately, just then there came a crackle from the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the last contest of the Sports Festival is about to begin: the three-legged race!" proclaimed the chirpy announcer. "And being that this is the final event before naming the Grand Champions, the race course has been designed to be more challenging for our contestants by looping through the forest before returning to the finish line. So good luck, everyone!"

As the teams were announced to the cheering crowd, Ino closed her eyes and tried to calm her thoughts. She had to get back into her competitive mode. It would be impossible to run effectively if she couldn't concentrate. Casting about for the right motivation, she imagined what the look on Sakura's face would be when she lost. Soon Ino was smiling in renewed anticipation. It was going to be hard keeping it together once Sakura got up close and personal with Naruto -

Unexpectedly, Shikamaru's arm took a sudden slide down her back and wrapped around her waist, pulling her in even closer. A tiny tremor raced through Ino as her awareness zeroed in on the weight of his hand resting firmly on her hip. Flustered, Ino felt the heat begin to rise in her face and she struggled not to squirm. It was the first time she'd been this hyperaware of Shikamaru's touch.

Silence descended on the waiting crowd, and Ino gulped again as the world seemed to start spinning. She wondered if she could remember which leg to start off with...

"On your mark! Ready... set... GO!"

The crack of the starting gun sent a shot of adrenaline coursing through Ino's system, clearing her mind. The world righted itself. Feeling aggressive and full of determination, she took a swift step forward - and slammed face first into the grass.

Some in the crowd began tittering. Stunned, Ino hastily pushed herself up on her forearms. _What in the world..?_ Twisting onto her side, she looked down at her bound left leg, tracing its entanglement backwards to Shikamaru... who was laying peacefully on his back and gazing up at the clouds.

"An unusual move by Team Ten right out of the starting gate," said the announcer. "Could this be some kind of bizarre new strategy?"

"What the heck are you doing!" cried Ino as she flipped her body back around into alignment. "This isn't the place for that, you idiot!"

Shikamaru yawned. "But it's such a nice day. And I don't really feel like moving from this spot..."

Incensed, Ino rolled right over him and seized hold of his collar. "Have you lost your mind? We're right in the middle of a race, damn it!"

He merely looked bored. "Seriously, you should try doing stuff like this more often, Ino. You wouldn't be such a high-strung person, obsessed with petty, trivial things..."

She began to shake him. _"Get up or die!"_

Shikamaru put his hands up in a sign of submission. "All right, all right," he sighed (in that annoyingly exaggerated, woe-begotten tone that seemed peculiarly custom-designed to set her teeth on edge.) But as promised, he pushed himself upwards, and soon the two had staggered upright and were on their way.

At first Ino thought all was well. After an initially awkward lurch, within a few steps she'd found herself in perfect sync with him. Her annoyance vanished as satisfaction took hold. Yes, this was more like it - Shikamaru really was a good partner, whenever he got serious about doing something. Pleased, she snuck a sideways glance at him, and was suddenly cognizant of just how physically close they were.

_Whoa, this feels so... natural. _

The fluttery sensation returned, setting her head spinning. _Well, that's hardly a surprise, right?_ she reasoned with herself. They'd been partners for so long that it should only be expected that Shikamaru would complement her movements so well - or vice versa. As with now, when their rhythm felt so disturbingly right...

Fighting a blush, Ino dropped her gaze. She found herself staring mindlessly down at the ground, watching their legs traversing the grass. And then it hit her.

They were _strolling_.

"What the..?" gasped Ino as she quickly looked back up at Shikamaru, who appeared no less unperturbed than before. It was then that she finally registered the snickering coming from the crowd behind them. She broke into a dark scowl. "Hey, just what is the meaning of this?"

Shikamaru turned his head to gaze impassively back at her. "Eh? Meaning of what?" he answered carelessly, keeping their pace unaltered.

"Don't play dumb! Why are we _walking_?"

"Just pacing ourselves, of course," answered Shikamaru blithely. "A steady rate will get the job done - you _do_ remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare?"

Ino gnashed her teeth. "That's just a _stupid fable!_" Looking across the lawn, she saw that their competition was quickly nearing the forest. She began to panic. "See that - we're being left behind!"

"No good, huh?" Ino felt Shikamaru's arm twitch in a half-hearted shrug. "In that case, I guess we could try this instead..."

Unexpectedly, Shikamaru's right hand slipped down from her shoulders to wind around her waist while he simultaneously seized the left arm she had slung across his back, pulling it closer. Then Ino felt the blood automatically rushing to her face as she found herself being pressed even tighter against his side. But before she could say anything, there came an awkward jerking jump and all her attention became focused on not stumbling. Immediately another unsteady hop and leap followed, then another, and another... and now Ino felt the embarrassed flush turning into a fiery heat as she finally caught on to the rhythm. She turned to aim an incredulous glare at Shikamaru.

"You're not seriously trying to _skip our way_ to the finish line?"

"Yeah, why not?" replied Shikamaru as he flashed her a little smirk that set her blood boiling. "You gotta admit that this _is_ a lot faster than walking."

Confusion and fury descended over Ino as she stared uncomprehendingly at Shikamaru. What in the world had gotten into him? Sure, he could sometimes be difficult about things, but she'd never seen such willful obstinacy like this. Or watch him intentionally acting like such a fool. Listening to the open laughter from the crowd, Ino's temper reached its breaking point. Stupid Shikamaru - he was going to throw the race for them just for the sake of a few laughs! Driven by anger and desperation, Ino leaned over and shouted directly into his ear:

"Damn it all, Shikamaru - are you _deliberately_ trying to lose?"

Immediately a strange expression crossed his face and the smirk vanished. Then to Ino's astonishment, they abruptly came to a dead stop, and Shikamaru turned to give her a cold, hard look.

"No... I guess you _really_ wouldn't want that, would you?"

Instantly Shikamaru's entire demeanor transformed. He seized Ino again, but with a much rougher grip, and without warning broke into a run. Caught off guard, it was all Ino could do to keep herself upright as they charged across the grass; she even felt somewhat scared by this turn of events. Yet she couldn't really complain - Shikamaru's clip was such that they quickly overtook the stragglers and drove through the middle of the pack. Soon they'd closed in on the leaders, and now Ino experienced a heady flush of victory when she and Shikamaru finally drew even with Sakura and Naruto - and then easily passed them by.

They were well in the lead when they plunged into the forest leg of the race. It was then that Ino (who previously had been stoked by the horrified expression on Sakura's face) began to feel nervous again. Unlike the grassy lawn, the ground here was uneven and loaded with potential hazards like broken branches and rocks. Yet Shikamaru was not slackening his pace, and Ino was having difficulty matching his steps.

"Hey! Slow down, Shikamaru!" she finally yelled when her right foot just missed catching itself under a tree root. "We're way ahead of everyone else now - take it easy already!"

Instead of the expected response, however, Shikamaru didn't break his stride. "You want to win this, don't you?" he answered brusquely.

Something about his tone sent a warning shiver down her spine, but Ino ignored that in favor of getting angry again. She was certain she was going to take another headlong fall, and Shikamaru's bizarre attitude was really grating on her nerves.

"Of course I want to win!" she snapped. "But I don't want to break my neck in order to do it!"

"Are you sure about that, Ino? There could be far worse things than simply breaking your neck, you know."

Fed up and confused, Ino determinedly dug her feet into the ground, forcing them to come to a halt. Breaking free of Shikamaru's grip, she tried her best to spin around to confront him, but only succeeded in taking a fresh spill onto the forest floor. Rubbing her leg painfully, Ino settled for glaring up at Shikamaru, who merely stood looking impassively back down at her.

"What is your freaking problem, Shikamaru?" she demanded. "This isn't like you at all - stop beating around the bush and spit it out!"

"My problem, Ino, is that I know you how much you can't stand to _lose_. So I think that winning this pain-in-the-ass race as fast as possible is in everyone's best interests." Pausing, Shikamaru's grim face darkened even further. "And if you don't like my methods - too bad. Consider all this a favor I'm making to you."

"Everyone's best interests? A 'favor' to me?" repeated Ino, mystified. An uncomfortable feeling began to stir in the pit of her stomach. "Hey... just what exactly are you talking about?"

"What I'm saying is that just like you, _I'm_ not interested in being kissed by a loser either!"

Shock flooded through Ino as she stared speechlessly up at Shikamaru's stony gaze. The scene with Sakura flashed back into her mind, and then she felt the blood draining from her face.

_Oh no - he was listening to our conversation! He overheard the bet!_

A sick feeling settled over her as Ino realized that there was no simple way of explaining this to Shikamaru. Her goal had been nothing more than to embarrass Sakura, no different from any other time - except that her proposal had gotten out of control once Sakura brought Shikamaru into it. Ino hadn't anticipated being so thrown at the prospect of kissing Shikamaru, or that she would feel so defensive over him - but her reaction had been like waving a red flag in front of Sakura and she just didn't want to back down to her rival. But how was she supposed to explain all that to Shikamaru? Especially the part about her unexpected feelings for him...

"No! You don't understand!" cried Ino, fumbling about for something safe to say. "It was all just trash-talking, Shikamaru! We weren't being serious! It's not what really -!"

"Yeah, _whatever_, Ino," interrupted Shikamaru coldly. "I don't believe that for a minute, but I really could care less. Now get up - we're losing our lead!"

"Wait -!"

But he didn't stop to listen. Reaching down, Shikamaru roughly seized an arm and yanked Ino back on her feet. And then they were off running again.

Ino's stomach clenched tightly as she saw the ground passing rapidly beneath them, though she wasn't sure if the fear was due more to their dangerous pace or from the boy racing besides her. She could clearly feel the anger pouring off of Shikamaru: his grip was painfully tight, his speed was reckless, and he wasn't even attempting to match his stride to hers at all. Perhaps he was more sure-footed than she'd realized in this kind of terrain, given his family's upbringing - but she was straining badly now just to keep up. Real panic began to surge inside Ino as they tore through the forest. Any second now she was going to -

On cue, her right foot landed on an innocuous-looking stick laying on the pathway, and rocketed off it as if she'd hit an oil slick. Struggling to keep her balance, Ino stumbled. Then her ankle twisted sharply, and with a startled gasp she crashed against Shikamaru, knocking them both to the ground.

Ino sucked in her breath as a stab of pain shot up her leg. She was vaguely aware of Shikamaru sitting up and leaning over to give her an annoyed look. "You know, Ino, for someone as big of a braggart as you are, I'm kind of surprised. If you're going to bank on winning your bets, shouldn't you at least have the talent to back it up?"

When she didn't respond beyond giving a faint moan, Shikamaru muttered a "_tch_" of disgust, irritated with both Ino and himself. He knew he was acting like a jerk, but he was having a hard time restraining himself. On the one hand, he didn't like being so rough with her - it went against his principles. On the other hand, he wasn't about to let her make sport of him. In truth, the knowledge that she'd done this was hitting him much harder than he cared to admit...

Scowling pitilessly at the girl crumpled next to him, Shikamaru got up on one leg. Then he reached down and took hold of her arm again. "It's a total pain to have to keep repeating myself, Ino, but if you don't want to lose - _get up!_" he yelled, as he abruptly jerked her upright.

To his shock, Ino screamed and collapsed back on the ground. "_You're hurting me!_"

Shikamaru froze. The anger dissipated as he quickly dropped to his knees and inspected her leg gingerly. When he touched her ankle, Ino reacted with another cry of pain.

"I think it's twisted," he told her grimly.

"Or b-broken," winced Ino. "Ow, it _hurts_..."

A somber, remorseful feeling settled over Shikamaru as he watched her pale face. He'd never seriously considered that he might wind up harming Ino by pushing her so hard. It was exactly the kind of boorish behavior he'd always despised in others... and to have directed it at someone he ought to have been protecting... _Aargh! _Why had he gone overboard like that?

Then again, he already knew the reason why.

_I hate that she thinks I'm a loser._

A fresh twinge of anger passed through him. For a moment Shikamaru was torn between his indignation and his guilt, when another voice spoke up in his mind:

_But only a real loser would treat a girl like this._

He smiled ruefully. No matter how much of a kick in the gut it was to be Ino's fall guy, he'd still never let himself fall so low as to become a true ass. And (he groaned) that meant an apology was in order at the very least...

Resigned, Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"Hey, Ino..."

"_What?_" she snapped.

"I'm really sorry about this," he said bluntly, causing Ino to leave off rubbing her leg. "I didn't mean to run you so hard. That was a... mean, dumb-ass thing to do." He paused to heave a deep sigh. "I was just... angry. I'm sorry."

Ino grimaced as the guilty feelings she'd experienced prior to the fall returned in force. True, she was more than a little upset with Shikamaru; even now it was on the tip of her tongue to tear into him. But how could she justify being mad at him when it was her own cruel, thoughtless actions that had set him off?

"Shikamaru... I think there's something you ought to know," began Ino hesitantly as she looked up at him. "What happened earlier between Sakura and me wasn't ever meant to involve you. It was just stupid teasing that got out of hand - not that that's an excuse, but it's the truth. It never crossed my mind that Sakura would pick you." She paused, feeling her cheeks grow warm, but she pressed on. "Because I don't think you're a loser. _Really_."

"You... don't?" Shikamaru stared at her, his expression a cross between disbelief and surprise. "But you yourself said that you'd sooner break your own leg than kiss a loser like me!"

Ino briefly dropped her head, aware that her face was now blooming into a full blush. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it. It was just a... rude, dumb-ass thing to say. I was embarrassed to admit it to Sakura. But the truth is I... I _like_ you, Shikamaru," she finished softly.

For a moment they just gazed at each other, equally astonished by what the other had admitted. Then Shikamaru, appearing somewhat embarrassed, cleared his throat again, and Ino resisted the urge to bury her face in her knees. But before either could say anything more, there came the sound of someone crashing through the underbrush - the other racers were quickly approaching. Instead they exchanged a wordless glance that summed up their predicament: _so_ _now what do we do?_

"Do you still want to finish the race?" asked Shikamaru as he crouched down and began re-examining her leg.

"Not really," muttered Ino.

He gave an uncertain look. "Huh? Are you serious?"

Ino sighed, thinking about the stupid bet and what Sakura was bound to say once it was all over. Well, perhaps this was karma - she never should have proposed it in the first place. "What does it matter, anyway? I don't care about winning it anymore. Besides that, you know I can't finish the race like this," she said, gesturing grumpily at her foot.

Shikamaru, however, was watching her with a thoughtful expression. Then his mouth curved in a mild smirk, and he held out a hand to gently grasp hers.

"We've come this far together..."

* * *

Some time later, two figures emerged from the woods and began their final trek across the grass towards the finish line. A murmur went up from the waiting crowd.

"Ah... what's this?" exclaimed the astonished announcer. "Well, I'll be. Folks, the race is over, but it looks like we still have one last pair attempting to cross the finish line!"

Shikamaru sighed, but kept striding purposefully forward as the crowd turned _en masse_ to watch. In his arms he carried Ino, who had her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head buried against his neck. Shikamaru wished that he too could similarly avoid the probing eyes of the crowd or at least shut off their calls of "encouragement" - he was certain that whistling cat-call was Kiba's - but ultimately their presence was simply an unfortunate annoyance. Audience or no, there were just some things a man had to do.

"And bringing up the rear... Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. An unfortunate turn of events for Team Ten, as this loss knocks them down to last place in the overall standings. But folks, let's give them a hand for their determination in finishing the race anyway! What great teamwork!"

With the crowd clapping its encouragement, Shikamaru finally crossed the line. Job done, he was wondering if he should try carrying Ino to the hospital or locating a field medic first when his thoughts were unexpectedly upended: Ino had lifted her head from his shoulder and was softly pressing her lips to his.

The world dimmed. Shikamaru was vaguely aware of someone whooping obnoxiously in the background (Naruto probably), but mostly there was nothing but blissful oblivion until Ino gently broke the kiss. For a moment he could do nothing but blink in wonder at the girl resting in his arms. Then his surprise faded into dejection.

"Was that because we lost?" he asked warily.

Ino broke into a mischievous yet tender grin.

"Don't be silly, Shikamaru, Everyone knows that at the end of the race, it's only the _winner_ who gets a kiss from the girl."

Then he smiled as she leaned in for another.


	17. Overflow

**Naruto Fanfic – "Overflow"**

_Written January 2009 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: I was originally planning on using this for an interlude chapter in my fanfic "Unparalleled Teamwork," but it wasn't going to fit in. Consider this an orphaned side story. May be considered a mild spoiler for manga chapter 328._

* * *

Ino stood at attention with hands folded behind her back, her stance correct as always, yet with her head bowed down in an uncharacteristically demure manner. To her left stood Choji, who was likewise atypically quiet with no chip bag in sight. And to her right slouched Shikamaru, obsessively rubbing his nose, his posture as carelessly lazy as ever. But it wasn't this lamentable habit or the unusual fidgeting that drew her attention. It was something else.

Today he was standing somewhat apart.

She tried not to think about that, instead focusing her attention on what Asuma was saying:

"Congratulations, everyone. You all did very well during the exams, especially during the second test - your teamwork there was phenomenal. But in the end it was you, Shikamaru, who really came out on top of everyone. Good work!"

Ino blinked at the ground, trying to process the strange feeling that had come over her that morning. It didn't seem real. Asuma was complimenting Shikamaru - her teammate _Shikamaru_, that lazy, whining, good-for-nothing slacker; that guy who screwed up almost as much as Choji did on all of their early missions - for his unbelievable performance during the Chuunin Exams. Barely over a month ago she wouldn't have believed any of this possible.

If she hadn't seen it all firsthand, that is.

The bizarre sensation increased. Feeling awkward, Ino hazarded a glance in Shikamaru's direction. He was rubbing his nose again, appearing distinctly abashed at the unusual praise and averting his eyes from her and Choji. Ino looked back down again, her gaze now falling on her shadow. Impulsively she glanced over at Shikamaru's and felt the weirdness intensifying. Even _that_ seemed taller somehow.

Asuma was still talking:

"You're the only one who became a _chuunin_ during this year's exams. As your Jounin-sensei, I'm very proud of you." Grinning at Shikamaru with obvious pride, he turned to address the other two. "Ino, Chouji, all that's left is you two. Do your best!"

Just like that, the world she knew was overturned: Team Ino was no more. Rather it would now be Team Shikamaru, since by outranking her he would be in charge after Asuma - whether he wanted it or not. And as for her...

_How do I feel about that? _

Ino sighed. To be certain she hadn't been overly excited at the news - it was shocking enough that Shikamaru had made chuunin at all, much less before she did - yet her overall reaction was more subdued than she'd expected. She didn't feel the way she would have had it been Sakura. Perhaps, too, she had already sensed the oncoming sea change during their ordeal in the Forest of Death, or perhaps it had been during Shikamaru's tournament battle, but she couldn't fault the judges' decision. And she didn't feel resentment at her teammate so much as disappointment in herself: she'd wanted to become a chuunin, too. She was just going to have to work harder so that she'd be ready the next time around. But as for Shikamaru himself... well, if she was being totally honest with herself, she had to admit that she was actually kind of... _proud_ of the guy. Even if the shameless slacker did throw a fight out of sheer laziness!

Still, none of this changed the surreality of the situation - or the inexplicable feeling that was steadily building in her heart.

Realizing that she was still staring at the ground, Ino suddenly frowned. _What is going on with me?_ she wondered. _Why am I acting so awkward about all this? This isn't like me!_ Though she couldn't fathom the reason for her unnatural shyness, she was determined to brave her way through it - after all, this was just Shikamaru, and she really didn't bear him any ill-will. _I suppose I ought to say something congratulatory to him, at least..._

"Well, gang, what do you say?" broke in Asuma's voice, pulling Ino back from her thoughts. "Who's up for going to the Yakini-Q to celebrate Shikamaru's victory?"

"_All right!_" whooped Choji, who immediately came to life. "I'm up for that! Great job, Shikamaru!"

"_Tch_. I didn't do it just so you could score a free meal," muttered Shikamaru, who sounded a bit discomfited.

"Just try not to forget that it's _Shikamaru's_ meal, eh, Choji?" said Asuma amiably. "And are you coming too, Ino?"

Taking that as a cue, she quickly looked up. "Of course I am, Asuma-sensei! And, um, Shikamaru..."

Ino's voice trailed off as she took in Shikamaru's appearance for the second time. When she'd first seen him that morning skulking behind in Asuma's shadow, she hadn't much time to really examine him before their sensei had called them to attention. But now that he was in the open, the drab green vest stood out vividly against the blue sky, framing her teammate's wiry form. Ino gulped unconsciously. There was something about the casual way Shikamaru stood, with hands jammed into his pants pockets and head tilted back like he couldn't be ruffled about anything in the world...

Instantly the mysterious feeling in Ino's gut rushed up at her, leaving her feeling light-headed. _Maybe it's because I lost all that hair during the exams_, she thought mindlessly as she stared back at Shikamaru. There was something strangely mesmerizing about the vest - it made him look so _different_. For a horrifying moment, she thought she might actually blush.

_Whoa. He actually looks... kind of cool._

She suddenly realized that Shikamaru was looking at her suspiciously. "Yeah, what? Is something wrong?"

_I honestly don't know..._ thought Ino frantically as the heady feeling threatened to overwhelm her. Beating it back down, she hastily tore her eyes away and shook her head. "It's nothing. Never mind."

Shikamaru gazed at her strangely, seemingly unsatisfied at her answer. Then he shrugged and moved to follow Asuma, who was already heading downstairs. Next Choji followed, and Ino found herself hurrying to fall into step besides him. As the four began the trek towards the restaurant, Ino smiled bittersweetly at their formation: Shikamaru had taken the lead position besides Asuma, with she and Choji filing behind. It was yet another thing to get used to, now that Shikamaru was a _chuunin_. Sighing quietly once more, Ino resumed watching him, studying the swirl on the back of the vest. Soon her eyes were sweeping over his back and shoulders, drifting down his legs and up the back of his neck. The unsettled feeling came rushing back in strength.

_Wow. He even looks good from behind._

A startled gasp escaped her lips at the shocking thought. Ino hastily clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid of letting another sound spill out. Where were these scandalous ideas coming from?

As if in response, the disorienting sensation swept over her, setting her heart pounding. Ino's eyes widened as she probed her feelings.

_What is with this overwhelming reaction? Whenever I look at Shikamaru today, I act like I'm in - _

And then it happened. Confusion, disbelief, stubbornness and something unacknowledged conspired against Ino, rendering her helpless in its wake. Her lips curved into a smirk as the full weight of her feelings flowed over her.

She began to snicker.

"Ino, what it is?" whispered Choji, looking at her curiously. It wasn't often that he observed her laughing for no apparent reason.

In response, Ino shook her head quickly, biting off the laughter fighting to escape. But another bubble of mirth was already welling up inside. _Honestly, what is the matter with me? This is Shikamaru! SHIKAMARU! There is just no way that I could feel this way about him..._

_... Could I?_

She accidentally let out another giggle, much louder than before. Just ahead of her Shikamaru flinched, as if he'd been waiting for something like this all along. He whipped around with a challenging glare. "_What_ is it?"

"It's n-nothing," she gasped. "R-really!"

Unfortunately at that moment she inadvertently caught Choji's eye, and a fresh round of snickers escaped. Choji, though initially bemused by her behavior, was starting to find the absurdity entertaining. And he seemed to have independently landed on the source of Ino's amusement:

"Heh. Well, Shikamaru, with that vest on, you have to admit that from _this_ side you kind of look like a miniature Asuma."

Shikamaru's ears were turning red. Ino thought he might even be blushing. Somehow his annoyance was making him all the more appealing to her - and that made it all the more surreal. And hilarious. This really could not be happening. Then another treacherous thought appeared...

_I wonder what it would be like to kiss him._

It was just too much. Giving in to the inevitable, Ino let out an unladylike snort. She was quickly joined by Choji, and soon the pair of them were struggling not to laugh too hard at Shikamaru's growing ire.

"Damn it, it's just a stupid _vest,_" he groused, glaring daggers at them both. "There's nothing funny about it!"

_Maybe not, Shikamaru, _agreed Ino as she wiped a tear from her eye._ But if it's all the same to you... I think I'll just keep this to myself._


	18. Candy

**Naruto Fanfic – "Candy"**

_Written April 2010 by Astra M._

_

* * *

Author's Note: I'll be the first to admit that sometimes "new" writing winds up retreading old stories, even if you don't deliberately set out to do that. But if said story involves my favorite couple... you think I really care? ;) Anyway, here's a little Shika/Ino treat for you all - a late Happy Easter everyone!_

* * *

Choji trudged along in awkward silence, listening to the argument between his two teammates escalate. It seemed to him that it was only a few minutes ago that they had been making innocuous small talk, heading towards the Yakiniki-Q after finishing another successful mission. How they had gone from talking about their weekend plans into an argument about _this_ subject was beyond him.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"I do!"

"Do not."

"_Do so!_"

"Yeah, _right_."

Halting abruptly, Ino whirled on Shikamaru and shot him her fiercest glare. He merely returned it with his own sullen scowl. From the safety a few steps back, Choji glanced anxiously between his best friend's skeptical face and Ino's piqued one. This wasn't looking too good.

"I do so know how to _kiss!_" said Ino hotly.

"Practicing on your mirror doesn't count," retorted Shikamaru snidely. "It has to be done on an actual live body."

There was a dangerous moment of silence. Resigning himself to the inevitable, Choji pulled out a bag of chips and began munching away as Ino leaned in angrily with her hands on her hips.

"What is that supposed to mean? Of course I've kissed other people!"

"Yeah? Like _who_?"

"Like... _people_," answered Ino forcefully, though Choji thought she sounded a bit defensive. "No one you need know about."

Putting two and two together, Shikamaru let out a rude snort. "Uh-huh. Kissing cousins is not something you want to brag about, you know."

"It's not like that!" cried Ino, flushing. Then recovering herself, she fixed him with a haughty sneer. "Besides... the only kisses _you_ get are from your mother!"

"None that I can recall," shrugged Shikamaru. "And it's not like kissing your father is any better. In any case, kisses from relatives don't count." He sent her a knowing smirk. "Admit it, Ino. Your kissing experience is about as extensive as mine."

Ino's face twisted threateningly. Choji quickly took another surreptitious step backwards, all the time wondering at his best friend's surprising recklessness: normally they both would be cowering by now. But instead of the usual evil eye, Ino crossed her arms and assumed a maddening air of superiority.

"For your information, Shikamaru, it just so happens that the only reason I haven't _let_ myself be kissed by anyone outside my family is because I've been _saving_ myself. When I finally have my first real kiss, it's going to be special. And what girl in her right mind is going to waste something so precious as her first kiss with just _any_ boy?" Then she pointed dramatically at his face. "Plus it's not like you can practice for that in the usual way!"

"Basically proving my point, thank you very much," muttered Shikamaru as he rolled his eyes. "Face it - you _can't_ call yourself a 'good kisser' without any experience to back it up. You may _think_ you know how to kiss, you may _want_ to kiss really well, but bragging about kissing you haven't even done?" He shook his head in an exasperated way. "You're spouting nothing but a lot of hot air."

Ino stared at him incredulously, her fingers beginning to twitch in the manner that precipitated a throttling. "You think I'm full... of _hot air_?"

"I'll retract that and be perfectly blunt, Ino. When it comes to kissing, I think you're full of - _mmph!_"

Choji gulped. Predictably, Ino was in the process of cutting off Shikamaru's air supply by seizing him about the collar. Then with a swift, well-practiced move, she threw him to the ground - a variation from the usual vertical stranglehold that she only employed when she was really angry. Proceeding to straddle his waist, she pulled the startled boy upward by his shirt, took a deep breath...

And began to kiss him.

It took a few seconds for Choji to process what he was seeing, and then he almost dropped his chip bag. Unexpectedly true to form, Shikamaru wasn't resisting Ino's assault; in fact, it seemed to Choji that he was more passive than usual as Ino bore down on him. Then not long into it, her grip on his collar loosed and she slowly wound her arms around his neck as the two fell back gently against the ground.

Choji wondered if he had become an unwitting witness to something indecent. Looking squarely down at his chip bag, he thrust a handful into his mouth and started to count off each crunch, hoping this would distract him from the faint moaning sounds coming from the pair. When he reached one hundred and forty-two, he heard a light popping sound as Ino uncoupled her mouth from Shikamaru's. As she got unsteadily to her feet, Choji noticed that she wore a slightly glazed expression.

"See?" said Ino breathlessly as she carefully brushed her hair back into place. "I am _so_ a great kisser!"

"Yeah," agreed Shikamaru, still spread-eagled on the ground, his voice sounding suitably awed. "You sure are."

Looking pleased and little flushed, Ino merely nodded. Then casually resuming her walk towards Yakiniki-Q, she called back over her shoulder: "So what are you guys waiting for? The best seats will be taken if you don't hurry up!"

Not until Ino was out of earshot did Choji finally approach Shikamaru, who was still lazily stretched out in the road. As he reached out a helping hand to his friend, Choji was not surprised to note that Shikamaru was gazing up at the clouds with a slight grin on his face.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Shikamaru's smirk widened. "Like taking candy from a baby."


End file.
